


Caged Butterfly~ Demetri Volturi x Reader

by Vivian_R_Vergiou



Category: Twilight (Movies), Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: Action/Adventure, Aftermath of Violence, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Magic, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Best Friends, Blood Drinking, Blood and Gore, Blood and Injury, Canonical Character Death, Character Death, Cleopatra - Freeform, Declining Health, Desire, Domestic Fluff, Drama & Romance, Egypt, Escape, Established Friendship, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Falling In Love, Fanfiction, Female Friendship, First Time, Fluff and Smut, Health Issues, Human/Vampire Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Jealousy, Love Confessions, Male-Female Friendship, Mutual Pining, Mystery, Not Canon Compliant, Original Character Death(s), Original Character(s), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Female Character, POV Second Person, Plot, Power Imbalance, Reader Has Powers, Reader-Insert, Religious Imagery & Symbolism, Romance, Sexual Tension, Shameless Smut, Slow Build, Smut, Soulmates, Swearing, Threats of Violence, Torture, Trading, Vampire Sex, Vampires, Volterra, Volturi, Volturi Guard - Freeform, Werewolves, Wolf Pack, elemental powers, explicit - Freeform, laterinthechapters, mature - Freeform, noncanon, nothingliketheoriginal, notwiththeprotagonists, readerisabadass, vampire, vampiresdontsparkle, willnotfollowtheoriginalstoryline
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-06
Updated: 2021-01-04
Packaged: 2021-01-24 11:30:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 47
Words: 317,605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21337534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vivian_R_Vergiou/pseuds/Vivian_R_Vergiou
Summary: Sometimes, the better you hide a secret the easier it is for it to be revealed. When that happens, you immediately draw the Volturi attention. Your once normal and happy life crumbles to the ground and you are found bound into a castle full of the darkest and most dangerous creatures that walk planet Earth. One of those vampires though, seems to take a liking on you. Beware though! Secrets are still lying unrevealed and nothing is what it seems.(Twilight Saga fanfiction: this story will not follow the Twilight Saga plotline) Reader Insert/ Twil. S. Demetri Volturi
Relationships: Demetri (Twilight)/Original Character(s), Demetri (Twilight)/Reader
Comments: 23
Kudos: 139





	1. Chapter 1 The Beginning Of The End

**Author's Note:**

> Hey lovely people and welcome to a brand new story!! This one will be about my favorite character Demetri, who is the tracker of the Volturi. Now, I know that many of you may not like Twilight, but please stay with me, I have many things planned for this story and it will have nothing to do with the original plotline. I've uploaded this story to other sites but decided to upload it here as well, so updates will come every day until we catch up! Please leave your thoughts in the comments, it really brightens my day! Stay unique and awesome! <3

Have you ever experienced a beauty of soul, an esthetic grace, that was so intense it made you want to cry?  
― Zack Love, Stories and Scripts: an Anthology

Now I am going to scream all I want.  
Because at the end there  
Will be no scream, laughter or grief  
There will be only frozen time of  
Our love.  
Yes, only frozen time of our  
Forbidden and undying love.  
~Kiss The Rain by Fairooz Maliha (c)

Can we live without death? Can we love without hate? Can we want without need?  
Do we really ever live our lives without the appreciate that we can never truly grasp one without the other?  
That a concept has no meaning without an opposing force.  
If hate is whats inside us, and hate is what defines us, do we use our hate to dive us?  
Then let death not deprive us.  
Do we want this or do we need this?  
We can always rinse the surface, but the stain will still remain.  
-Chris Motionless

It was yet another gloomy day in La Push.

  
Heavy, grey clouds were hanging from the sky, threatening the residents of the place with heavy rain at any given time. The new day had dawned gloomier than ever before, with fog still making its way among the luxurious green trees of the lavish forest that surrounded the place. Every now and then, a loud thunder echoed in the distant horizon, spreading terror to the animals, which ran to find shelter for the upcoming storm and filled the hearts of the human residents with vigilance to make sure they would be in the safety of their warm houses when the storm would finally strike the shore. The cold, winter wind stormed the coast, bringing large and ferocious waves to mercilessly hit the beach, filling the air with little drops of water and giving it a breathtaking iodine smell that no one could actually resist.

  
The beautiful shore of La Push was partially empty, with the large tree trunks that were washed out by the huge waves a few weeks before, beautifully decorating the white sand underneath them. The large cliffs circled the vast area, towering well above the beach, giving a serious and intimidating aura to whoever seemed to lay their eyes on them.  
The wild beauty of the place left no one unmoved, because which creature that Mother Earth ever created, can remain untouched and unmoved to such a wild beauty, a complete manifestation of Mother Earth’s powers, bringing together the best aspects of both sea and earth. No brush, even from the best of painters, not the imagination of the wildest writer, was able to conceive such a beauty. The man that dares defy such a wild beauty must conceal himself far away. Away from Mother Earth’s gaze, because his existence is nothing else but an abomination in the eyes of the glorious Creator.

  
Yet the place wasn’t completely empty.

  
There, inside the furious waters was a girl, barely seventeen years old, fighting with the waves.

  
You smiled widely to yourself as you watched the next wave coming threatenly towards you. This time, you weren’t going to let it go that easily. You turned and paddled as fast as you could, your surfing board obeying your every command, managing at the very last moment, to catch the wave. Balancing on top of the board, you raise yourself up and with a swift move, you slide the surfing board to your left, gliding on the wave. Soon, you enter the barrel of the wave, the water circling around you, threatening to throw you off balance and snatch you on its deadly embrace with the slightest wrong move. But it doesn’t know that you are far better than that.  
You smile and a loud chuckle escapes your lips, as you gently touch the water wall beside you with you left hand, enjoying the refreshing feeling the water gave you and allowing the adrenaline course through your veins in abundance, energizing you to the fullest. It was an amazing feeling. The rush of adrenaline, the cold water, the dangerous wave. All of them were enough to excite you to the fullest. And before you even know it, you are out of the wave and behind you, the white washes over. But the wave hasn’t completely disappeared yet; again, you turn to your left abruptly and you eject yourself and the board over the wave. You twist in mid-air and manage to land, board-first, on the calm water behind the wave.

  
You sigh deeply and once again lay on the board, riding it on your stomach.

  
It might be freezing cold out in the open like that, but you were the person never to say no to a good opportunity to go surfing. Your surfing suit may cover most of your body, leaving only your hands, feet and head unprotected from the bitter cold wind and the freezing waves, but after what seemed like some hours in the water, you could feel your whole body being heated up. What if a storm was coming? The waves were too perfect to let them go to waste. And since it was Saturday, you could pretty much spend it the way you wished. For a couple of hours you didn’t have anything special to do in particular.

  
Your father had taught you to surf since you were little. Living near the shore and in a small village that every kid used to be an avid surfer, you just burst through the door one day after finishing school and demanded from your father to teach you how to surf. At first he was hesitant and said that ‘girls aren’t suited for surfing’ but after a week of constant whining, he eventually agreed with a heavy heart.

  
Moving fast towards the next wave, you push your board down with your knee and your body soon follows it, as you duck dive under the huge wave, keeping your eyes open to avoid the white. The beauty of the clear ocean takes your breath away as the magnificent blue welcomes you with open arms. The coldness of the water calms your head down, allowing you to be relieved for a short while from any pestering thoughts. When you emerge, you take a few hasty breaths and charge forward for the next wave.

  
After a few more minutes and as you eject yourself out of the barrel of the wave, you see a tall man standing in the beach, obviously looking at you and waving broadly.  
Relaxing your muscles and allowing the waves to take you to the shore, you ride your board gently, reaching the beach in no time. Once you were closer you immediately recognize the young man that was now smiling brightly at you.

  
As always, he was tall and somewhat slender, towering well over you. His skin had an amazing russet color, while it was flawless, two attributes that you always envied him for. His face was thin, with high cheekbones and deep brown eyes that always reminded you of almonds, while he had a slight dimple on his chin. His hair was cut short, falling in a neat brown waterfall to the left side of his face. He was smiling broadly at you, with his hands on his jean pockets as you reached the shore and got down of your surfing board.

  
‘Long time no see Embry. I began to wonder if Sam keeps his harem locked up.’ You mock him.

  
His smile not only doesn’t waver, but widens more ‘Always kind and welcoming baby doll.’

  
‘After three weeks of no communication, I believe I have the right to. And don’t call me that.’ You say as you grab your surfing board and walk up to him.

  
He just puts his hand behind his head in awkwardness as you eye him suspiciously. It had been three weeks since he had disappeared without the slightest explanation and within this time he had changed completely. Since then, he had begun to avoid literally everyone and everything, leaving everyone around him puzzled, and only hanged out with Sam and his ‘harem’. To tell the truth, you don’t have a problem with Sam, on the contrary, but this was just too much. And as if that wasn’t enough, Jacob had also joined them a few days before.

‘Well, ummm, ehem, Jack told me to come fetch you up and drive you home.’ He says awkwardly.

  
‘Why did dad tell you? I’m perfectly able to go home alone.’ You fight back.

  
‘Umm, I offered to at the Tribal council. They were having a break and discussing about the storm coming and he said that you would probably be here. So I offered.’ He shrugged.

  
Your eyes tighten ‘And why is that?’

  
‘’Cause I have three weeks to see my little baby doll!’ he says, and before you know it, he has pulled you into a death-hug, squeezing the sh!t out of you.

  
You struggle to breathe as he is literally crushing your bones. Where did he get that strength from?!

  
‘Em..bry! Y-you’re kill-ing me!’ you manage to say.

  
‘Oh! Sorry ____!’ he says and pulls back.

  
You take in a deep breath, feeling your bones go back to their original places and glare at him angrily ‘The Hulk will be angry if he finds out you stole his formula you know.’  
‘Nah, I’ll be fine.’ He says messing your hair ‘I just missed my little sis.’

  
You laugh, hitting his hand away ‘I missed you too Embry.’

  
After a bit more teasing, he helps you carry the board on the car and waits patiently as you change to your normal and warm clothes. In reality, you couldn’t really believe he was actually speaking to you. You, Jacob, Embry and Quil were practically raised together. Your families lived near each other, so all of you started playing together, forming sibling bonds even if in reality, you weren’t related. You always used to say that they were your long-lost brothers from the war and as you were practically a tomboy, you fitted rather well in your small pack. The boys were always protective of you, especially Jacob and Embry, even if you were a year older than them and you used to spend most of your time all together. Not that you needed their help to get through troubles. You usually were the trouble-maker, as bad luck and your hot-tempered nature always caused you troubles, but you never accepted any help and found your way through, on your own. So, just like Quil, it really cost you when Embry and Jacob suddenly became distant and stopped speaking to you. At first, you wouldn’t accept it; you yelled at them, went to their houses and even slapped Jacob in the middle of a crowded road, but nothing seemed to work. They just told you to stay away from them for your own good, but the only thing you could think at the moment, was ‘to hell with my own good’. But as time passed, your pride stepped in and you stopped. You didn’t even want to look at them, hear their voices or even feel their presence around you. You didn’t want to have anything to do with them. But seeing Embry today smiling brightly to you, managed to crack your resistances.

  
The ride back to the village was somewhat silent, and a lot of awkward. He knew you were mad and you knew he was feeling bad about it.

  
‘So how’s the other lone wolf?’ you ask at some point.

  
At the mention of the word ‘wolf’ you see Embry tighten up just for a mere second, his hands tightening around the steering wheel, earning a questioning look from you, which he doesn’t notice. Still he smiled ‘He’s okay. We’ll drop by sometime to bother you together.’

  
You cough mockingly as the truck comes to a stop in front of your house.

  
‘Thanks for the ride Embry.’ You say stepping down and taking your surfing board.

  
‘No prob. We’ll come see you along with Jake.’

  
‘Yeah, sure. See ya in the new millennium Embry.’ You wave him goodbye over your shoulder, while walking to the front door.

  
Placing the board next to the stairs, you open the door and enter. Immediately, the sweet smell of eggs and bacon floods you and you sniff around happily. You can clearly hear your father whistling happily in the kitchen. You place your bags down and take your shoes off. Your house wasn’t much. With only one floor, it was wooden and cozy. The moment you went through the front door, you were in the main hallway. On your right was the small living room and on your left the kitchen. Down the hallway right across, where your father’s bedroom, the bathroom and next to it, your little bedroom. It may be small, but you were more than comfortable in there. It was warm and the environment always helped you calm down after a rough day.

  
‘Daddy, I’m ho~ome!’ you announced walking in the small kitchen.

  
‘Hello sweetie how was your day?’ he asked with a bright smile on his face, turning from the oven and looking at you.

  
He was only fifty five years old, but the years and the fatigue they brought had placed permanent wrinkles on his face, making him look a lot older than he really was. He was the typical Quileute man. His hair was long, loosely controlled by a rubber band, in the shade of brownish black, reaching down to his waist. He had matching black eyes and the sweetest smile you had ever seen on a human. Kindhearted by nature, he never said no in a nice meal, leading him to have a pretty sizeable belly. He was also the best cook you had ever met. Even his eggs with bacon were phenomenal and no one could compare to his skills.

  
And he was totally different from you. There was nothing on him that you had inherited. On the contrary, you had long/short (h/c) hair, with a (s/c) skin. Your father always told you that you were the spitting image of your mother, who you never met, since she had died giving birth to you and she wasn’t from the Quileute tribe. So, you were always standing out among the villagers, which only caused you more problems and led your father to make you attend school at Forks.

  
‘As usual. The ocean was nice today.’ You smile as he places a plate with eggs in front of you.

  
‘You realize there is a storm coming though. What would happen if you were out in the ocean when it hit?’ he scolded you softly.

  
‘Oh, come on dad, you know I’m always careful.’ You say as you chew.

  
‘That’s the problem exactly. Thankfully Embry offered to come pick you up.’ He sat across you.

  
‘Yeah, I’m still mad at him though.’ You say.

  
He smiles ‘Of course you are. You are the definition of angry, honey. But you got to understand, they had to help the Tribe.’

  
‘That isn’t an excuse and you know it. They could at least tell me something!’ you argue.

  
‘If the Council doesn’t want to, they can’t. And you know how hard it is to keep the balance among the Elders. Sometimes I feel like I’m the only one reasonable in there.’ He admits.

  
‘I know dad. You make an excellent job though.’ You smile at him.

  
His black eyes soften once more at the sight of your smile ‘What would I do without you?’

  
‘Probably be bored to death. And also, relaxed.’ You just shrug with a smile ‘Oh, I’m going to sleepover at Bella’s tonight. You don’t have a problem right?’

  
‘Chief Swan’s daughter? No, of course you can go.’ He smiles.

  
‘Thank you daddy. She’ll be here in an hour, so I’ve got to get ready.’ You say, standing up and placing your plate on the sink.

  
You give him a kiss on the cheek and grabbing your things from where you left them –correction- threw them, you make your way to your bedroom. Opening the door you leave your stuff on your office chair and grabbing a new set of clothes, you make your way to the bathroom. After almost four hours diving in the cold waters of the ocean, the warm water of the bath felt like it was sent from Mordor, making you shiver and smile a cat-smile to yourself. Once you were done, you dry yourself up and change into your warm clothes going out of the bathroom and into your room, only to find Bella already waiting for you, sitting on the bed.

  
The girl was as pale as ever- her face had lost any indication of color long ago, leaving her skin almost completely snow white. Her curly dark brown hair hanged down her back, almost reaching the middle of it, still toning subtly her thin, heart shaped face. Her nose was thin and her cheekbones were prominent. Her lips were a bit too full for her slim jawline. Her unique chocolate brown eyes had lost the livelihood they had when you first met her and now looked straight at the floor, giving you a sad feeling only by looking at her. It was evident that she was happy once, which made the feeling of sadness even bigger. But you knew that they had started finding their happiness some time ago, so what happened now?

  
‘Bells?’ you ask hesitantly.

  
The girl averts her eyes from the floor and nails them into your (e/c) own. A shy smile creeps its way on her lips, but it doesn’t reach her eyes.

  
‘Hey ___.’ Her sweet voice says as you rush beside her.

  
‘Hey honey. What the hell happened?’ you say giving her a big bear hug ‘When I last saw you, you were smiling.’

  
‘U-um, it’s nothing really. Don’t worry about me.’

  
You give her a stern look ‘Isabella Marie Swan open your mouth before I torment you into talking.’

  
She cringes lightly in her full name but in the end she just sighs ‘Jake’s been avoiding me for a week now. I think Sam doesn’t let him see me anymore. I just don’t know..’ she whispers the last part.

  
You place your arms around the fragile girl, resting your chin on her head lightly, stroking her back to give her comfort ‘He’s a douchebag Bells. He’ll come around eventually.’  
‘Why is everybody leaving me ____? Just why? I don’t blame them though, I’m useless.’ She mutters.

  
‘No you’re not! They are just idiots! I’m here for you darling aren’t I?’ you smile at her.

  
She leans back, her chocolate eyes full of sadness, but she tries to push it away as she smiles at you ‘You’re right ____. Thank you for standing by me even when…..he…..left…..’

  
‘I’ll always be beside you Bells. You’re the kindest person out there and I don’t want to lose you.’ you smile at her encouragingly.

  
‘Yeah right. The catatonic me.’ She jokes.

  
You hit her head lightly ‘I would have to say the stubborn you.’ both of you laugh.

  
Packing your things, you throw your bag over your shoulder and finally both of you make your way towards her truck. Hopping inside, she turns the engine on, which starts with a really loud noise and you both take off towards her house. The whole ride is silent, since you knew that after he left, she wasn’t into music so much. Poor Bells. Looser Edward.

  
You knew Bella since you were a child. When she used to come over for vacation in summer, her father was bringing her at Jake’s house and all of you hanged out together, playing in the mud and making sand castles at the beach. You weren’t so close, rather just acquaintances, but once she came here a year before, you both immediately hit it off as she just needed someone not to ask too many questions and you needed someone that was a thinking human with a fully functional brain; not one that he/she just had the engine on but no one was behind the steering wheel.

  
So your friendship grew stronger and stronger with the passing time. She was always there to support you and especially keep you out of trouble –which was essential- and you always kept away from her anyone that would harm her, allowing her to be her innocent and shy self. After she met Edward though, you found another ally to help you keep her safe. Little did you know that he would put her in the most dangerous and lethal danger that there was out there. After a little encounter you personally had with a certain blonde someone and thankfully with the little ace you have under your sleeve and with Emmet and Jasper’s help, you escaped unharmed and came to know the secret the Cullens kept so tightly, realizing that myths were actually true. This only made you want to keep Bella safe more. But for the most part, the Cullens were okay. You, Bella and Alice were really close right from the start, as the elfish vampire saw it in one of her visions. What she didn’t see though, was that you would also be in good terms with Rosalie too. This came as a surprise to the vamp-family.

  
You could clearly see the deep love Edward had for Bella. So when he decided to leave her after the little incident at her birthday party, you were left dumbfounded. You especially went crazy when you heard that she went missing. Using your ace, you joined the search, going further and further in the forest. So when Sam came with her on his hands, the relief you felt washing over you was enormous. If you were in good terms with him previously, you owed him a huge favor now. But your happiness soon disappeared, when Bella turned completely catatonic. You tried everything; everything in your power to make her happy again. To light up the light behind her eyes once again. But you did not leave her alone; not like the other supposed friends of hers that as soon as she turned the switch off, left her. Well, like you cared. Bella had you and you counted more than all of them. Especially that girl Jessica always got on your nerves. Good riddance then!

  
But when Bella started hanging out with Jake, you could see that the light was beginning slowly but steadily to light up again.

  
Only for that idiot to do the stupidest thing! Ugh!

  
Heavy rain was no pouring down with force as you crossed the streets of La Push.

  
‘Hey, isn’t that Jake?’ Bella gasped, looking out towards your side.

  
You turn and see a familiar figure walking towards the forest. You only had enough time to eject your hands forward and stop your head before hitting the dashboard, as Bella hit the brakes violently. Before you had time to question her, she has already exited the car and ran towards Jake, ignoring you yelling her name from the inside of the car. That wasn’t going to end well. You folded your hands on your chest, observing them closely. Bella was already shivering from the cold and the pouring rain had turned her hair wet. Jacob on the other hand was also shaking and appeared as if he was ready to cry. Bella didn’t know him for that long to be able to discern, but you knew. He also was shirtless in the pouring winter rain. At some point, you saw Bella shaking more violently than before; she was crying. You eject yourself out of the car, pulling your hood up and rushing to her. When Jacob saw you, his eyes widened with surprise.

  
‘______ what are you doing here?’ he asks, but you completely ignore him.

  
‘Come on Bella let’s go.’ You wrap your arms around the fragile girl to help her warm up.

  
‘____ I asked you something.’ Jacob insisted.

  
‘F*ck you Jake.’ You say, looking at him straight in the eye, dead serious.

  
Ignoring him, you lead Bella inside the car, this time on the passenger’s seat and walking on the other side, you hop on the driver’s seat, turning the engine on and driving off. The whole ride to Bella’s house was silent, while Bella was slowly crying under her hoodie and you boiling in your own blood from your anger. Thankfully, her dad wasn’t there when you arrived, so you had all the time in your disposal to make her feel better. After a hot cup of coco and a change of clothes, she was once again a little bit better and determined to talk to Jacob again, despite your objections.

  
‘_____ can you do me a little favor?’ she soft voice murmured as you tied up your hair preparing to go to sleep.

  
‘All you have to do is name it.’ You smile, walking up at her and sitting on the bed.

  
She bit her lip lightly and looked at her fingers ‘Can you show me the trick you do with the glitter? I have some on my desk.’

  
Your smile reached your ears ‘Of course darling.’

  
You walk to the desk, grabbing the glitter and returning beside her. The door was closed and there was no chance her dad would come inside in this late hour. Turning the lid off, you take a handful of glitter and hold it on your hands. Bella raises her eyes and you can see the excitement flashing on her eyes. You raise your hand so that it would be in the same height as your mouth and blow the glitter off hard. The glitter is ejected against Bella with power, but instead of falling down on the mattress, a nice warm breeze is created inside the room, drifting the glitter along with it. The windows were all closed, just like the door, and there was no possible explanation for the breeze to exist inside the room. So how?

  
Bella looks up and smiles like a little child, watching the patterns the light makes as it falls on the glitter. You laughed. Since you were a little child, you discovered that you could do a few nice tricks with the air. The ace up your sleeve. You could use it to defend yourself or attack, but thank God, you only used it that way once. But this didn’t mean that you didn’t enjoy some tricks with it every now and then. The only limitations were that you could only use it on a scale of two to five meters around you and that wind or air should be present from another source. Like your breathing for example. Bella had first seen your gift after you discovered the truth about the Cullens.

  
So, ending the night with a nice trick, both of you went to sleep calm.


	2. Chapter 2 To Protect

Another round of few days passed without a single contact from neither Jake nor Embry. You had decided to completely push these two idiots out of your mind, so you decided to wear yourself out with constantly doing something. Whether it was surfing or homework or long walks with Bella, you just had to name it and you were immediately out of the house. For some unknown reason, you just couldn’t stand being inside the house. Luckily, a huge porch umbrella that you and your father used to have in your front porch was put in good use and you were now always studying on the front porch. Your father would scold you in the very first days, since he insisted that it would be dangerous for you and that you could easily catch a cold, but after seeing your peculiar behavior inside the house, he knew that there was nothing he could do about it.

In general, you were behaving as if the walls were closing up on you inside the house, so you went inside only when you were extremely tired or for the absolute necessities. Your sharp-eyed father noticed your behavior and tried to confront you for it, but the only answer he got was that you needed some time alone to re-evaluate some things on your life. Since this was the most serious thing your dad ever heard coming out from your lips, he left you at ease so that you could think things through.

And you indeed had many things to ponder over.

First, it was whether you should kick both Embry and Jake where the sun doesn’t shine or not. From all your experiences in your life, only this one made you so angry that you wanted to punch a hole through the wooden wall. These two idiots were complete jerks. And you didn’t really care how they treated you, but Jake treating Bella like that was something more than unacceptable. Bella insisted that it was Sam’s fault and that Jake was scared of him from the very start, but now, the two of them were best buddies. Her words put you on deep thought. You knew Sam and his lot from since you were little as all of the Quileute kids had somehow all grew up together. He wasn’t really a bad man, rather a misunderstood one, so hearing this now only raised more questions in your head.

Secondly, it was Bella that worried you. Since that day with Jake she had returned to her previous catatonic state of mind, being unable to comprehend the things going on around her and giving them absolutely no significance. What drove you over the edge though, was the fact that she went inside the forest all alone and had an encounter with both Laurent from last year and a pack of wolves in the size of a horse. The moment she told you that, you were about to slap her across the face from your furry, but taking in calm breaths, you managed to calm down and talk to her about it.

Thirdly, she was planning to confront Jake and question him about his behavior, since it appeared that he popped at her house one night and was trying to tell something to her, without really telling her. So both of you decided together that today you would drop by his house for Bella to question him and you had insisted to tag along to make sure everything would be okay.

So as you put your beanie on, the monstrous engine of Bella’s rust bucket sounded from outside. With one last glimpse to make sure your clothes were perfect, you grab your bag and rush out of the house, hopping on Bella’s truck. The moment you are in, she drives off.

‘Ready?’ she asks, her sweet voice filled with determination.

‘Let’s kick their asses.’ You joke.

The moment you reach his house, both of you rush out of the truck and walk fast towards the door. Bella knocks it and both of you wait. After some moments, the door opens and Jake’s father, Billy appears behind it, on his wheelchair.

‘Bella? _____?’ he asks.

‘Morning Billy.’ You give a small smile.

‘I need to see him.’ Bella says after you.

Billy eyes both her and you ‘He’s not here.’ The man simply says.

Bella stays quiet in his words but then passes by him ‘Sorry but I really need to see him.’

‘Bella!’ Billy says trying to reach her, as you also follow her close behind.

She walks inside the familiar house, reaching his bedroom door and upon opening, it reveals a peacefully sleeping Jacob.

‘Guess we found him.’ You whisper to her while both of you look at the sleeping teenager.

Then, a wolf whistle is heard coming from outside. Both of you look outside the only window inside the room, only to see Sam, Paul, Embry and Jared walking out the woods and towards Jake’s house. Your gaze falls on Bella, who clenches her jaw firmly and storms out of the house, anger obviously boiling inside of her.

‘Bella wait!’ you yell and follow her out of the house.

You manage to catch up with her shortly after, as she walks hastily through the Blacks’ backyard, like an enraged bull, almost running to meet with Sam. The four boys seem quite curious as to why the both of you are here, but the moment your eyes fall on Embry, a dark look of anger passes through his otherwise happy eyes. He didn’t like it that the two of you were there. It only meant trouble and both of you knew it. But, you choose to ignore him and focus on Bella who is now yelling at Sam.

‘What did you do?!’ she says walking up at the tall man.

‘What did you do?!’ she says and shoves him with her hands ‘What did you do?!’

‘Hey watch it!’ Jared says and steps up.

‘Eaaaaasy.’ Sam warns him, raising his hand to stop him from coming closer to the girl.

‘Bella, calm down.’ You say placing your hand on her shoulder and leaning closer to her, eyeing the other three boys with your eyes narrowing.

But she ignores you.

‘He didn’t want this!’

‘What did he do? Huh?’ Paul steps up, already breathing heavily from his anger walking a step closer to Bella ‘What did he tell you?’

‘Both of you, calm down.’ San tries to interfere, pulling Paul from his arm, but getting ignored as well.

‘Nothing!’ Bella lashes out ‘He tells me nothing cause he’s afraid of you!’

In her words, Jared and Paul start laughing mockingly towards the little girl, which only infuriates you to no ends. You were about to say something to them, but Bella is faster than you this time. Her hand pops out and lands on Paul’s cheek in a loud slap that manages to make his head turn on the other side.

‘Awww Paul, you got owned!’ you laugh at him.

But instead of a response, Paul’s gaze turns murderously serious, making your blood run cold on your veins immediately, as you sense the impending danger. This was not going to end well.

‘Too late now!’ Jared laughs.

‘______ get behind me now!’ Embry orders you but you ignore him immediately, staying by Bella’s side.

‘Girls stand back!’ Sam orders the two of you.

Grabbing Bella by her hand, you start to take a few steps back, with you placing yourself in front of her protectively, only for both of your hearts to miss a beat as the breath that Paul lets out right at that moment, is more like a wolf’s growl than a human’s breath. Your eyes narrow on the muscled man and you shove Bella behind you more, as she would need immediate protection. You could feel it in the air.

‘Paul calm down.’ Sam orders once again.

Embry’s gaze falls first on you and then on Paul in terror, as Paul seems to lose it more and more with the passing seconds. You give him a small glimpse as you focus once again at the enraged man in front of you.

Before your very own eyes, the man folds in two and what follows next, would easily be a scene from a horror movie. There is a tearing sound and the man looks up again, but only that his whole body transforms in the body of a big, grey wolf. If you hadn’t seen it with your very own eyes, you wouldn’t possibly be able to believe it, but even now, you are questioning your sanity more than ever. You take another few steps back, eyes nailed on the big wolf in the size of a horse that growls and bears his teeth to the both of you. Sam tries in vain to calm him down still, but in your eyes, there is no possible way of calming the monster down at this very second.

Right then, is when your jaw clenches firmly. You know what you need to do.

‘Bella, I want you to listen to me very carefully.’ You command the girl that stands behind you, while distancing yourself a little bit more ‘I want you to stay behind me no matter what!’

‘O-okay.’ She whispers, as you lean your torso forward, smiling slyly at the grey wolf.

‘How about I turn you into a coat? What do you say?’ you smile.

The wolf growls even louder and bearing his razor-sharp teeth, he starts charging towards you. You hear Embry yell to you, but once again you ignore him as you concentrate at the threat in front of you.

‘Three, two…one!’ you scream and push your palms forward.

Then out of nowhere and in mere milliseconds, the air around you forms an almost transparent wall of air, which turns silver in many places, forming a wall of two meters in front of you. Following the movement of your palms, it is immediately ejected forward, against the enraged wolf. He’s unable to react to it fast, leading the wall to crash hard on him, sending him flying many meters back, crashing on the trunk of a tree that stood eight meters behind all of you. The wolf lets out a pained growl, but manages to land on his feet and charge once again against you.

You take a few steps forward fast and with a swift move, you slash the air in two. An almost silver slash of air leaves your hand the moment you do this and is ejected hard against Paul, tearing the ground underneath it and leaving a trail behind it. This time, the grey wolf is more prepared than before. He manages to duck and avoid it hitting his head, but he wasn’t fast enough to protect his back legs also, as the razor wind hits him hard, leaving a huge torn wound behind.

Paying no attention to it, he growls loudly and charges against you.

You have just enough time to concentrate a little bit and when he is about to bite you hard on the torso, opening his mouth and revealing his teeth, you run forward and stepping on the air you eject yourself up, making a full twist flip in mid air, passing your head millimeters from the wolf’s open jaws as he follows your move.

But when you manage to land unharmed, you immediately notice that he is no longer after you. Instead, he takes advantage of the fact that you’ve left Bella unprotected for a mere moment and charges against her in full speed. In this sight, your blood runs frozen in your veins as you watch the wolf getting closer and closer to the vulnerable girl, that is unable to move due to her terror and only stares in horror at the charging wolf.

‘NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!’ you scream and with another sharp move of your hand, you create another air wave that hits Paul from the right, sending him a few meters away again and giving you just enough time to ran at Bella’s side.

Due to the fight, you are already feeling your energy starting to dry out but you know that if you stop now it will mean death for the both of you. The remaining three men are so taken aback by the spectacle that is laid before them that they are completely unable to even move a muscle. So you are sure that no help will come from their side anytime soon.

You reach Bella at the same time as Paul. The moment you are in front of her, a wild and angry scream leaves your lips and your hands once again eject forward, the same moment that a wall of air appears around the two of you, protecting you inside of it, with the wolf crashing hardly on it. You scream from the impact of the crash, but using all your power, you manage to keep the wall on its position. The wolf once again growls, looking at the silver wall that swings around you and charges once again. And again. And again. And again. And again.

The wolf is determined to break through the protection wall and with each hard attack on the wall, you feel large parts of your energy being consumed faster than you would want to, leaving you more vulnerable by the passing seconds. If this keeps going on, then the wall will fail to protect you and you’ll be left in the mercy of the bloodthirsty wolf. You scream with all your power and pushing yourself to the limit, you try to keep the wall at place. But when the wolf attacks once again, you feel a sharp pain almost immediately.

Opening your eyes you see that his teeth have sunk deep into your left hand, injuring you from the palm to a little bit further up from the elbow. The teeth sink hard on your soft flesh, cutting them from edge to edge, as the jaws of the wolf clench hard around it. The wall didn’t withstand this attack. Pain shots up in you but right at that moment, it’s the least of your problems, as the wolf’s head jerks up, taking you along with it and ejecting you many feet back, crashing hard into the ground.

Your head bangs hard on the ground and almost immediately, you fold in two, holding your injured arm close to your body, while a pained scream bursts out of your lungs, echoing in the silence of the day. The pain is so immense and coming from every possible corner of your now injured body, that your mind goes numb immediately and your vision blurs. You hear someone calling you and a shadow kneels beside you, but his voice is heard as if you have plunged your head inside the water. Someone takes you in his arms, cuddling you protectively while a second wolf growl is heard loud and clear. You try to cover your ears with your good hand to keep away the immense sound, as you hear a collision and angry battle growls coming from literally everywhere.

You gasp and whimper loudly, while blinking multiple times, trying to focus your eyesight once again, as the growls grow fainter and fainter.

‘Shhhh, it’s okay _____. I’m here. You’re safe.’ You hear Embry whispering gently in your ear as you blink away and manage to see that you are held protectively in his arms.  
‘Hey.’ Sam’s voice is heard once again ‘Take the girls back to Emily’s place.’

Embry breathes out and with a swift move raises you in his arms bridal style, since you are in no position to walk right now.

‘I guess the wolves are out of the bag.’ He says loudly as he moves you towards Bella’s truck, while Jared helps a scared-to-death Bella to stand up again and walk.

~~

The ride to Emily’s place was a silent one.

Embry was driving the truck with one hand, while with the other he caressed your injured hand gently, throwing worried glances at you every now and then, to make sure you were feeling okay and that you weren’t mad. Every single time he did that though, you pacified him with a gentle smile, while trying to reassure Bella as well that you were completely alright. Yeah, your head had banged pretty damn hard on the ground, making you unable to move for a little bit, but right now, if you didn’t count your hand, you felt completely fine, with just a large bump in your head to remind you of the fight with the wolf.

But other than your head, your hand needed to be fixed immediately. The deep wounds the wolf’s teeth had left on your skin were gashing out deep, ruby red blood non-stop, filling your clothes with blood and making you worry about whether or not it would need stitches.

Luckily, the drive to Emily’s place wasn’t far enough.

The moment the truck stopped outside the house, Jared hopped off the back of the car, where he stayed the whole ride and Embry helped you walk out of the car, holding you cautiously by the waist, leaning you on him with exceptional care.

‘Hey, I think we should go back and check if Jacob’s okay.’ Bella popped her head out of the car window.

‘I hope Paul sank some teeth in him. Serves him right.’ Jared noticed.

‘No way, Jacob’s a natural.’ Embry disagreed while walking you towards the house ‘Did you see him phase in flight? I bet Paul’s not even able to touch him.’

‘So it was Jake the second wolf I heard?’ you questioned.

Embry turned towards you and his face softened in a smile ‘Yeah, that’s the big secret we all were keeping. I guess now you know everything baby doll. But you also got some aces up your sleeve.’

‘Yeah, how did you do that?’ Jared crosses his arms on his chest.

‘I guess everyone has a little secret about themselves.’ You shrug ‘I guess we are on the same page now…Finally.’ You say and shove Embry with your elbow on his sides.  
Not only doesn’t he feel anything, but instead, he just messes your hair, earning another elbowing by the irritated you.

‘Come in Bella. We won’t bite.’ He says to the brown-haired girl then.

‘Speak for yourself.’ Jared disagrees and walks off.

‘Just try and I’ll turn you into a carpet.’ You threaten Jared lightly.

Finally, Bella steps out of the car. She shoves her hands into her pockets and walks over to the two of you, looking at Embry with an expectant look.

‘Oh, hey about Emily, Sam’s fiancée’ Embry notes ‘You girls better not stare. It bugs Sam.’

‘Why would we stare?’ Bella speaks your thoughts before you do.

In response, Embry only nods towards the house and escorts the both of you inside.

The moment you walk over the entrance, you find yourself in one of the most welcoming and warm houses you have ever been to. The space is consisted by the kitchen right in front of you, that is divided into two spaces and after it in the distance is the living room. The walls are in a faint beige color, while the wooden cases on the walls and the wooden furniture make the place look cozier. The space is wide and with large windows that enable even the faintest sunlight to come barging in through them, illuminating the place majestically.

Then, before you have the chance to look around more, a calm woman voice sounds like the ring of many bells and turning you see a black haired girl that has her back turned towards you.

‘Are you guys hungry? Like I have to ask. Hahahaha.’ She says as both Embry and Jared walk up to her and grab a muffin from a large plate. Embry made sure to help you sit down on the round table before he placed another muffin for you in the plate in front of you, munching on his own lightly.

Then the girl turned towards Bella and you.

She was one beautiful girl. Her characteristics were so feminine and well shaped that her beauty was literally breathtaking and any girl that was standing really close to her would be immediately intimidated by her sheer beauty. She had an oval face with high cheekbones and full lips, dark brown –almost black- eyes and pitch black straight hair that reached down to her waist. She was slim and tall, with beautiful wheat colored skin. You were sure that if she wanted to start modeling, she would be any agent’s dream. But there was only one thing that would not enable her to do that. And that was three large scars that begun from the top of her face and run down her whole face, disappearing under her blouse. The scars were long ago healed, but their aftermath made the edge of her right eye and the side of her mouth, lean downward permanently.

Her dark gaze first fell on you and then on Bella.

‘Who are they?’ she asked sweetly.

‘This is ____ _____ and Bella Swan. Who else?!’ Jared commented, bits of half chewed muffin falling from his mouth.

‘Hmmm, so you must be Jake and Embry’s sister’ she smiled at you ‘And you must be the vampire girl.’ Said, turning towards Bella.

You chuckled and so did the boys.

When Emily noticed your hand, her gaze darkened and pressing her lips tightly, she brought you the first aid kit. Before you were able to take it, Embry had already taken it into his arms and opened it. Taking your injured hand lightly, very careful not to hurt you, he placed it on the table and started attending to the wound, leaving aside his half eaten muffin and cutting out the conversations that started between the other three people in the room. You said nothing this time and allowed him to tend the wound the best he could, as you could really see that the remorse on allowing you to get injured where eating him alive. Still, you felt sorry for him, but didn’t pacify him at first, as a small punishment for keeping you in the dark for so long.

‘Guess Paul got you pretty good.’ He murmured to you.

You sigh ‘Well, I don’t think it’s that bad. At least I got to learn the truth at last. About your peculiar behavior and the fact that you shoved both me and Quil aside.’

‘We couldn’t do otherwise. Now that you know the truth, that might still put you in danger. We didn’t want that for the both of you.’

‘B*llsh!t Embry and you know it. You could have found a better way to keep the secret and us safe. How do you think I got around with my gift in the first place?’

‘Through luck I guess. But being close to that blood-suckers wasn’t good _____.’

‘At least they were pretty straight forward with their motives. And they would probably cause me physical pain. Not emotional.’

A pained expression passes his face and he says nothing.

You sigh in annoyance ‘At least now can we be as we were before all these X-Men transformations started? Hate to say it, but I missed both of your sorry #sses.’ You admit.

He laughs ‘I guess that wouldn’t be a problem now.’

Right at that point, Sam returns to the house followed close behind by Jacob and Paul who seem to be on good terms once again, playfully shoving each other. When your eyes fall on Paul, your eyes tighten and you clench your jaw firmly. He walks casually inside the house, plopping himself on the chair next to you.

‘Sorry Bella.’ He says ‘Sorry _____.’ He then turns at you and winks.

‘Well, take your sorry and shove it up yo-mfnnsk’ Embry manages to cover your mouth in the right moment, preventing you from cursing at the now relaxed man.

‘She accepts it Paul.’ He rushes to say and throws you a don’t-you-dare-say-anything-or-I’ll-kill-you-myself look at you.

The other boys laugh and you throw him a death glare which he ignores completely, wrapping your hand in a bandage. Looking around, you notice that Bella and Jacob must have gone for a walk.

‘So ____ care to explain to us your ‘abilities’?’ Sam says, leaning on the counter as Emily walks off to bring more food.

‘Yeah, how come you’re a witch?’ Jared says, looking at you wide eyed.

You cough mockingly ‘I’m not a witch, I can assure you. I would say that I’m mostly a wind ‘user’.’

‘Really? When did that happen?’ Embry asks while completing his wrapping job. You take your hand back and look blankly at it.

‘I just of already was from the start. Dad knew it, my mother knew it. Though it may sound like a big deal, it really isn’t.’

‘Like how?’ Sam continues.

‘Well, there are limits to what I can do. What you saw today was pretty much how far I can go right now. The longer the battle goes, the more energy is consumed and my tricks fade. And if I use too much energy all at once, I fall into a coma.’

‘You were a tough-%ss to beat.’ Paul interferes.

‘And you were a total do*che to attack two unprotected girls.’ You throw back at him, but he just shrugs.

‘So you might die if the energy runs out?’ Embry asks concerned.

You shrug ‘Maybe. Remember that time last year, when I suddenly fell into a coma for three months after Bella run through a glass wall?’ you say and Embry nods lightly.

‘Well I got attacked and had to protect myself. Too much energy was used, putting too much strain in my body. I was lucky I didn’t die.’ You take a large bite off the muffin.

‘What caused you to reach the limits?’ Sam asks, his eyebrows meeting over his eyes.

You chew lightly and swallow, looking at him casually.

‘A vampire.’


	3. Chapter 3 A Living Fire

After the big revelations that went around yesterday, the only thing that could describe your state of mind at that point, would be a major headache. You had described with a lot of details what had happened before you fell into a coma and the encounter you had with James as well as how Jasper and Emmet helped you get away before it was too late. Embry appeared a little more relaxed towards the Cullens after you were done and in contrast to the others, stopped calling them ‘leeches’, which pacified you as well. He lazily messed your hair and kept feeding you, putting muffins and any other treat Emily had prepared, into your plate and wouldn’t stop nagging at you until you ate every last piece of them. It felt like things between the both of you had started turning to as they were before, with the two of you messing with each other playfully, all the tension and sorrow drowning away and companionship being restored among you.

Of course, there was the usual teasing the both of you got from the other members of the pack, especially Jared and Paul, even if they clearly knew –directly from Embry’s thoughts as they told you- that you were siblings. This didn’t stop them from making remarks that made you wanna throw everything you found on your path at them as well as making Embry turn utterly red from his shame.

Thankfully, Sam replaced the order, the moment Jacob and Bella walked inside the house.

Jacob and Embry drove the two of you home and after leaving Bella at her house, Jacob passed his time teasing you till no ends, happy that you finally weren’t mad at them. No matter how hard Embry tried to stop him, he would just plainly ignore him and proceed to tease you even more. So when you reached your house, you literally threw yourself out of the car, thanking Embry for the ride and sticking your tongue out like a little brat at Jacob.

Going inside the house, you found your dad sleeping on the couch in front of the TV. You didn’t want to bother him, so you just covered him up nicely with a blanket and yawning at the same time, you went straight to your bedroom and crashed on the bed completely exhausted from the fatigue of the day, plus the extra use of your energy in fighting.

The next day dawned as cloudy as the previous one. Still, the bright light that was coming through the windows was far more than enough to wake you up, so your eyes flinched and opened. Only for an excruciating pain to storm in your head immediately, like a tsunami, making you yell loudly and put your hands on it, as if trying to keep it in one piece.

You could clearly feel the place where you bumped your head on the ground yesterday to pulsate under your hands, as the sheering pain started from right there. With eyes blurred from all the tears of pain, you make your way out of the bed and stumbling heavily, having to lean on the walls to help you walk, you manage to walk to the kitchen and next to the fridge, you find the medical kit you keep in the house. Opening it, you grab some painkillers and down them without water. You lean on the counter, breathing heavily and trying to keep yourself stabilized on it and wait for the pain to pass. It was as if someone was trying to squish your brain while inside your head, but luckily, after some more seconds, you slowly feel the pain being numbed.

Opening your eyes again and looking around you, you see that it’s already noon. The house is empty and when you call out for your father, you see that he’s indeed not home. Sighing loudly, you open the fridge to make some breakfast, only to find your favorite sandwich already made and waiting for you, alongside a small note from your father. Taking them both in your hands, you sit down on the kitchen table along with a glass of (y/f) juice and open the note, munching lightly on your sandwich. Inside, you immediately recognize the messy handwriting of your father.

Tried to wake you up four times but you didn’t wake up. I’ll be at Billy’s place. Make sure you eat~ Love, Dad.

You sigh loudly and resume eating. You had literally nothing to do today, and your aching head plus the injured arm was not good companions in case you went surfing. So what should you do? you wondered as you walked up to the sink and placing your empty plate inside, while your gaze wandered to the forest, from the window above the sink.

And then it dawns to you.

What about a nice walk inside the forest? You knew these woods better than your open palm, so why not? Relaxation and zero danger would be included. The only thing that could happen is running into the guys while on their wolf form, which would be nice, since you were kind of curious on how Embry would look like as a wolf. Storming inside your room, you change to a rather simple outfit and grabbing your headphones and mp4, you exit the house locking the door behind you. Shuffling through the songs, you stop at Natural Born Sinner by In This Moment and start walking towards the forest.

The place is more humid than normal, betraying the rain that had fallen yesterday night, while there are still a few ponds of water here and there, as you make your way around them and into a narrow path you knew all too well. You let out a deep sigh and allow the humid air enter your lungs, clearing them and making a cold touch spread across your chest, as if you were breathing for the very first time in what seemed like ages.

Maria Brink’s voice pounded on your ears as you stuffed your hands inside your pockets and proceeded to walk down the narrow path, murmuring the lyrics of the song under your breath. Thankfully, the painkillers had helped a great deal and pain was nowhere to be found.

Around you, the place seems mystical.

The tall trees tower well above you, while their lush foliage made the whole place sink in an eerie greenish light, that was only illuminated by the faint sunbeams that escaped the sea of grey clouds in the sky above you and made their way down to slowly kiss the cold earth. Every here and there, there were still some faint rags of mist, creeping their way close to the ground and near the tallest trees that were spread all around. It was one of those sceneries that people would expect to find in a nightmare; it was just too silent and beautiful to not have a hidden danger lurking around the forest’s premises. But for you it was simply home. It was where you grew up and where you used to run and hide from the kids that went too far with their bullying, only for Embry, Jacob and Quil, to find you hugging your knees behind some great tree trunk, or under any cedar tree you could manage to find, being furious with yourself that you allowed them to hurt you; it was for that particular reason that your father had send you to attend school at Forks, but you just were glad that all these incidences only helped your cocky and rebellious character to build up.

So yeah, f*ck them anyways.

Sighing once again, your feet drive you instinctively further and further inside the calm and quiet forest.

The only thing that was on your mind since yesterday was the fact that you finally had learnt the truth and the truth only about Embry’s and Jacob’s strange behavior. Those two idiots underestimated you too much for believing that you would be in danger if you knew the truth. But alas, you were kind of happy, although still mad at them, that they finally were once again by your side, like they always had been. Yeah, yeah, you had convinced yourself that they were both losers and didn’t deserve any kind of pity, but the truth can be a treacherous little thing sometimes and a mind can change in various ways. Still, you were wondering what would happen with Quil. He was still kept in the dark and suffering for being pushed aside by his best friends. Embry had told you that it would be nearly impossible for him to phase too, so he would probably never learn the truth. Which kind of pained you for your easy-going and loyal friend.

You were determined though to help him out somehow. You didn’t know how yet, but once you’d set your mind on it, it was end game.

Something red flashed in the distance, catching your attention. Your eyes immediately pinned themselves to the point where you saw it, but as suddenly as it had appeared, it had already disappeared. Strange…… everything around you consisted of grey, brown and green, so where on earth did the red pop up?

Your feet come to a stop and your hand flies to your headphones, taking them out, while your gaze travels around the rest of the forest. You stay still, trying to listen to any little sound that might indicate something’s wrong. You carefully look around, trying to sense the air with your powers and understand what’s going on, when you feel it.

It literally pins itself on you, burning your clothes and reaching far under them, burning your skin as well. One pair of eyes has nailed itself on you. Someone’s watching you.

Your breath comes out low and controlled, but your heart starts immediately to accelerate inside your chest. All alarms go off inside of you and you immediately know that you are in grave danger. Because the one looking at you, is no friend. Clenching your fists, you feel a current of energy rush inside your veins as you prepare yourself, gathering your powers just in case things go down the drain.

But you are not fast enough for this enemy.

You fail to hear a single thing and the only thing you feel is a small breeze hitting your face gracefully, before an iron grip grabs you from your neck, closing around you so hard that it’s literally choking you in mere milliseconds. Your feet fail to connect with the ground as you see a fire of red and a very familiar –yet terrifying- face looking at you from up close, her delicate hand holding you in midair, as if you were as light as a feather.

Victoria is standing right in front of you, her hand tightening more and more around your neck, making you choke and struggle to breathe, with your hands flying on your neck, trying desperately to relax her fingers and allow you to breathe, only to fail miserably.

‘Hello _____.’ Her girly voice rings like a handful of many little bells, her sardonic smile enhanced by her mocking tone ‘Long time no see.’

You cough and struggle to answer her ‘…L-Look what t-he c-cat d-drag-ged in.’ you mock her in return, only for her grip to tighten even more.

Her predatory eyes are nailed on you, while she tilts her head to the side, observing you like the predator does to its potential victim. But she has underestimated you.

Kicking her right in the chest, you bring your fingers to her wrist and with a loud scream, you slash it open with a razor blade produced by air on your fingertips. Her grip immediately loosens and she takes a few steps back, letting out a small, surprised gasp, her eyes now nailed on her wrist, while you fall on the ground heavily, coughing loudly as your lungs refill with air. But as you do, you throw one of your hands in the front, emitting a strong air wave that hits Victoria and sends her flying three meters away, but landing on her feet perfectly. You stand up, only to see her mocking tone once again, as her eyes are filled with hatred.

‘What are you doing here…… you b!tch?’ you throw at her, your eyes never failing to look at her, in case she tried anything funny.

In response, she lets out a small laugh ‘Paying a visit to your little friend. But now that I found you, I’m gonna leave your head on her doorstep.’

Your jaw clenches firmly.

From experience, you were definitely not so good into fighting vampires. James proved that point in the past and if the others hadn’t intervened, you would be dead by now. Heck, you were almost dead even if they intervened. So it would be tough to go up against a vampire again. Plus, you were still lacking energy from the very constructive fight you had yesterday with Paul. So to put things straight, you were in a difficult spot here. Running was out of the question, because even if you use your powers, who the hell is capable of overrunning a damn vampire, and also, you were deep inside the forest, so no help was gonna come anytime soon for you. So either you die, or you try to fend her off for as long as you can and frankly, the second option was all you could do. If you were going down, you’ll go down with a part of the b!tch along with you.

So as she stood a few meters away from you, preparing for her attack, you stood up proudly, standing your ground and looking at her dead in the eye.  
You give her a huge, mocking grin ‘Let’s roll then b!tch.’

In an instant, she disappears from your eyes, but this only pushes you on edge more. You feel a breeze of air reaching your back and turning, you manage to protect yourself with your opaque wall right before her foot found you in the back. Still, the impact is not nullified completely, thus, you are pushed many meters back, sliding upright on the soft soil. Looking straight ahead, you see her standing where you were standing a few minutes before, smiling slyly to you. In response, you flip her off and the moment she frowns, you catapult an air blast, hitting her straight in the chest and sending her flying back, with many more blasts following behind the first one.

Managing to regain her balance, she turns towards you, letting out a piercing scream that sends shivers down your spine, and disappears. Your eyes open wide with surprise, just in time to see her hand hitting you straight in the chest. Your breath is cut both from the pain and because you are ejected backwards, hitting the trunk of a tree so hard, that you feel a small warm liquid stream down from your head instantly, as you fall hard on the soil. Everything blurs around you and once again, you land hard on the ground. Your clothes are torn and you cough up a considerable amount of blood.

‘S-shit!’ you exclaim, and snapping your fingers, the protection wall rises around you, just in time before Victoria got you, her hands already outstretched and her eyes pitch black from the bloodlust.

Finding the opaque wall dividing her from her bleeding prey, she lets out another piercing scream, as he ejects her body on the wall again and again, draining your energy and yelling furiously with every hit she managed on the wall. From your point on, you were struggling with all you had to make the wall continue to divide the two of you. It was a matter of life and death and there was no possible way out. You clenched your teeth and searched around for any possible thing you could use to get away, but other than a miracle, you were pretty much screwed. The wound on your head not only had it opened, but worsened and more and more blood was coming out, pouring and staining your blouse and jacket and infuriating Victoria even more.

This whole thing was once again, a déjà-vu from the little ‘fight’ you had with James.

Now, your energy was diminishing fast, just like it had done then. You were finally down to your remaining fractions of energy. Soon, your conscience would start to fade as well, but Victoria only continued to attack you and you tried to defend yourself. You were going to go down. You could feel it deep down in your guts, as your vision started to blur slightly on the edges.

That was until a threatening growl echoed like a gunshot inside the wide forest.

Both you and Victoria freeze on the spot.

The bloodshot eyes of the female vampire nail themselves somewhere behind you, but instead, your blood has run cold inside your veins and you just can’t command you body to turn and see what the hell is standing behind you. You are way too scared; no, you are petrified to come face to face with the threatening aura that hovers behind you. But as the fallen leaves and small branches crash behind you, your body acts on its own and turns, only for your brain to turn completely empty.

There, a few meters behind you, walking threatenly towards you, are three wolves.

Their sizes could very easily be compared to that of a horse, surpassing by far the natural size. One of them was pitch black, walking in the middle and one step ahead from the other two, appearing to be the leader. Next to it on the right, was another great grey wolf, with black spots on its back. The other one was in the shade of reddish brown, almost in the same size as the black one, while the grey one was somewhat smaller.

As you were looking at them, your mouth half opened in total surprise, but they spared you no glance, other than a small gaze that the grey wolf gave you. Instead, their eyes were nailed somewhere behind you, where you guessed Victoria stood.

And as if the three of them weren’t enough, two others walked inside the small path, coming out from the woods, one of them a medium brown and the other……wait a minute… the fifth one looks somewhat familiar.

‘P-Paul?’ you say before you manage to control yourself, your voice coming out almost in a whisper.

The grey wolf perks its head up unexpectedly, his gaze meeting with your terrified own, before realization kicks in.

‘Guys?’ you say in total awe.

It was them! It was definitely them! You weren’t starting to lose it and neither the hit on your head was so hard to make you hallucinate, at least for now. Wolf Paul along with the reddish brown wolf and the one with the black spots on his back turned and looked at you, their gazes almost darkening as they gaze upon your bloodied figure. In contrast to them, you just smile brightly, happy that this was not going to be your last day on earth, no matter the blood that had started dripping down your face as well now.

A loud growl reverberated, coming from the enormous black wolf in the middle –which you guessed that he was Sam- and the wolves averted their attention from you, their watchful eyes falling on the red-headed vampire that had completely focused on them, forgetting that a bloody victim was standing at her feet, something that you thanked God about. You see Victoria’s lips draw back in one terrible grimace, as she hisses loudly towards the pack of wolves, a sound that reminds you of a snake. Then, under your watchful gaze, you see her turn…and disappear.

Angry grows reverberate from behind you and you barely see three of the wolves rushing behind her at full speed, their teeth bared and with Sam leading the way. Finally they are chasing her away! Finally, you are safe!

You rest your head against the tree trunk, allowing the fatigue of the energy that you lost so fast take over you, breathing heavily and with your eyes starting to be unable to focus. Still, you are able to see the two remaining wolves that walk beside you, their extremely huge bodies towering threatenly above you, but at this point, you feel no fear. The grey one turns his head towards you, coming close to your face and sniffing, making you laugh and raising your hand, stroke his nose tiredly. The brown one lets out a small bark, which sounds way differently to you.

‘Don’t you dare mock me Jacob.’ You whisper weakly, your hand falling on your side lifelessly.

The two wolves perk their heads a little bit away from you, confusion flashing through their eyes, but you are just too tired to explain everything at this point.

‘Yeah, I know i-it’s you.’ the grey wolf growls a little bit ‘I’m not stupid Embry, I just wanted a normal walk.’

You….just….want-

You fail to even realize the moment you passed out.

~*~

Someone was carrying you…… you could practically feel the movement…as well as the extreme heat of someone’s body resonating towards your cold own……

~*~

‘No Jacob,… I can’t let you……carry her in…… this form. Her head…… can’t handle too many jolts..’

~*~

‘Hey Embry……dude………h-how……is she?’

‘She’s g…… fine……Paul. She’s……..breathing………thank……God.’

~*~

You were lying against a comfortable surface. It was so cozy and warm under those covers, so when sleep started to withdraw from your mind, you squeezed your eyes shut even more, hoping to keep this feeling of utter peace and quietness for a little bit more. But right at that moment, the memories started flooding your brain like an unexpected tidal wave, wiping everything in its path. Why were you sleeping? All you could remember was that you were in the forest when b!tch-ctoria appeared out of thin air and attacked you. So when did you fall asleep? Also, the rich aroma of cinnamon and apples reached your nose the moment you took in a deep breath….Wait a sec……you know this smell…

Your eyes flash open immediately, only to find yourself staring at a wooden ceiling. Huh?

‘You’re finally awake baby doll?’ you hear someone chuckle and turning, you see Embry walking towards you from the door, carrying what looked like a mug.

That was when it dawns to you. You were in his bedroom. The wooden room with the huge bed and the paintings that Embry’s mother, Tiffany, made decorating the walls, seemed exactly as you had last seen it, some months ago, before all this begun. The fireplace was already lit and strong flames were dancing happily, but gazing around you like a lost one, you realize that the light of day had given its place to the darkness of the night, which spread mercilessly out of the windows, broken only by the faint moonlight that graced the vast sky.

‘Embry why am I here? And is it night already?’ you exclaim with one breath as he sits on the bed beside you, handing you the cup with the hot coco.

‘With extra sugar, exactly as you like it.’ He gives you a small smirk ‘Well, after we found you in the forest and chased that leech away, you passed out cause you hit your head pretty hard.’ He says, pointing at you head.

In his words, your hand flies to your head, only to feel a bandage wrapped around it.

‘I was going to take you home to old Jack, but Sam told me that he was in the Tribe Council and there was no way to let my baby doll alone, so I brought you here. Jack said that he won’t be home, so you should stay here for the night.’ He breathes out calmly, his sweet eyes falling on you.

You avert your eyes to your cup and carefully bringing it to your lips, you drink some of the hot coco, immediately feeling your body relax and warm up.

‘I can take care of myself Embry, so I’ll be going home.’ You say seriously.

‘I said that you are going to stay here and I mean it. I’m not leaving you all alone again, especially with that chick running around loose.’ He says seriously, his dark eyes falling on you with an austere tone, but as fast as the seriousness appears, the faster he breaks it into a smile.

‘Now, princess, the others are waiting for your majesty on the beach. We can’t leave them waiting for too long.’ He laughs.

You raise your eyebrow in curiosity as you see him place a change of clothes on the bed beside you ‘What do you mean waiting?’

‘We are having a small party with bonfires at the beach. Bella is there, Jacob is there, everyone’s there but us. Now, you don’t want to lose it right?’ he flashes you a smile.

‘I think that some drinks would ease the headache!’ you exclaim evilly, pushing the covers to the side and jumping on your feet ‘I’ll go get ready.’

‘I’ll wait for you by the door. And don’t you think that I’m going to let you drink with your injuries!’ he yells behind you as your rush in the bathroom.

‘Aw, you’ll be drinking with me Embry-bear.’ You laugh as you close the door behind you.

Looking at the huge mirror above the sink, you can still locate some stray drops of blood that had remained from before, as well as, that you weren’t wearing the clothes you had worn this morning. It was beyond impossible that Embry changed you –or picked up the clothes from your house- since he would have made a comment about it or he would shy away, so you decide that Tiffany must have helped out. Your head was wrapped in the thick bandage, but the blood had long ago stopped, so you remove it and change into your new clothes , fixing your hair and throwing a last glance to the mirror, you walk out and downstairs on the vast house, only to see Embry waiting for you by the door, wearing only a plain t-shirt and a pair of jeans.

‘Aren’t you going to be cold?’ you ask as he opens the door for you and you pass in the darkness of the night that prevailed outside, leaving the warm shelter of the house behind you.

‘I’m never really cold baby doll.’

‘Lemme guess; it’s a wolf thing.’ You laugh, feeling the coldness of the night penetrating your every fiber, even under your warm clothes and soothing your headache a little bit.

Silence falls fast among you, as you make your way towards the beach, walking inside the dark trees, with you being able only to discern Embry’s figure beside you and with him walking as if it was broad daylight, something that after a good ten minutes of walking, started getting on your nerves. Still, he wasn’t completely oblivious to your struggle, so laughing a little bit, he offers you his elbow, which you accept after a moment of hesitation, passing your hand through, with an annoyed growl, but feeling grateful nonetheless. It was just a matter of pride, even if he was your best friend. You were sure though that from the way his head was looking around every once in a while, he was either hearing things or making sure that no one was lurking anywhere around you. Especially Victoria, as you thought bitterly. That b!tch was too damn lucky that you weren’t in the best shape today to take her on.

‘So, can I ask you a question baby doll?’ Embry is the first one to break the silence, the moment that the beach started to appear in the horizon.

‘Shoot me.’ You laugh.

‘You wanna go to the movies on Saturday? I’m going to have the car since mom will be away, so I thought it would be good to spend some time together. Maybe go for a bite afterwards.’ He suggests, as the trees clear up and the campfire illuminates the place majestically, loud laughs echoing in the total silence, as the pack was already around it.

‘Sounds like a date to me!’ you laugh, freeing your hand and walking faster ‘Be at my house by five Embry. Don’t you dare be late. Hey guys!’ you wave vigorously at the pack, failing to listen to Embry’s small whisper.

‘But what if it was a date..’

‘Look whose back from the dead! Hey zombie.’ Paul laughed loudly as you and Embry walked over to them, will Jared and Jacob laughing at his remark and you crossing your hands over your chest.

‘Hey mister I-can’t-come-up-with-my-own-puns.’ You throw at him, a devious smile dancing at the edges of your lips, as you saw the whole pack, Bella and Emily laughing at your own remark.

They were all sitting around the cozy fire, with Jared and Paul already downing beers one after the other, throwing the bottles over their heads and banging the next ones together, while on their right, Emily had leaned on Sam’s chest comfortably chuckling at the view, as the leader of the pack was already throwing annoyed looks at the two guys who were drinking. Jacob was sitting right next to where you and Embry sat, with Bella leaning her head on his shoulder, the girl giving you a faint smile that you returned as a big one. Embry sat immediately down and you followed him, leaning on him with your shoulder, making yourself comfortable by folding your legs under you.

‘So how are you kiddo?’ Jacob gives you one of his signature smirks.

‘I had better days.’ You comment casually.

‘Don’t take things lightly _____. It was pure luck that we happened to be passing by.’ Sam says strictly, making you shrug your shoulders.

‘Yeah, what the f*ck you were doing inside the forest cutie?’ Paul demands to know, trying to suppress his laughter, due to the alcohol.

‘Don’t call her cutie Paul.’ Embry growls lowly beside you.

‘Why? Are you her boyfriend now Em?’ Jared laughs at Embry.

‘Someone’s jeaaaaaalouuus.’ Jacob joins the teasing.

‘Cut the racket!’ your voice reverberates like a gunshot, restoring them to order immediately, making them look down on the ground and Embry beside you laugh ‘I was just walking to ease my headache Sam, that’s all.’ You smile lightly to the leader.

‘You’ve got to teach me that trick _____.’ Emily smiles ‘Maybe then I can restore the very leader to order.’ She gives a small kiss to Sam, as all of you laugh.

If someone was completely capable of lifting the gloomy mood inside of you since your encounter with Victoria, that was the wolf pack. The conversations among you flamed up, as well as the usual teasing and jokes towards pretty much all of the members, who were trying to defend themselves only making their situations worse and the laughs to resonate inside the silent night. Emily spread around the marshmallows she had brought along, and you evilly made Embry bake them for you, with your best friend trying his best not to burn them, and you gobbling them down with one bite, since it was the best treat for a cold but fun night. Still, he kept feeding you, asking you every once in a while how was your head feeling. He really seemed to be worried about you and you knew that no matter how much you smile to him or tried to pacify him, he would still be worried for a while.

At some point, you demanded Paul to stop drinking all alone and hand you one of the beers, but as soon as he threw it to you, Embry’s hand popped up and grabbed it in midair, throwing it back and finding Paul right in the face, warning him that it wouldn’t be good for you to drink. You pouted for a while, but it was impossible to keep it, since even Bella was smiling and laughing, the sadness finally leaving her eyes and making her seem like nothing was happening. Seeing your best friend happy and relaxed, along with being protected by the wolf pack which consisted of your best guy friends, your anger was doomed to not last long.

‘I sh!t you not man, the leech chick just jumped off the cliff, crashing like a bag of potatoes in the sea.’ Jared mimics the graceful movement that Victoria did, only not so gracefully at all.

‘Guys, Victoria isn’t someone to mess with.’ Bella says.

‘Yep. That’s why it was so stupid to go inside the forest in the first place ____.’ Jacob turns and scolds you.

You smile deviously at him, leaning against Embry and turning towards Jacob ‘What was that again Jake? I didn’t hear you over the barking.’

‘Don’t play dumb _____.’ He breathes out.

‘Woof woof, woooff woof woof.’ You mock him back, with all the others falling into a fit of loud laughter, with Paul and Jared rolling on the sand. Jacob only smirks back evilly.

‘Learning new languages I see.’ He fights you back, only for you to laugh even harder.

‘Come on now Jake. Be a good boy!’ you grab one of the marshmallows and wave it in front of his face ‘Roll over boy! You can do it! Roll over!’

Bella laughs hard beside him, making him turn to look at her as her hands fly to her stomach, his cheeks turning into a darker shade from his sheer shame, before he turns to you deadly serious ‘I think that’s enough ____.’

‘Aww, come on now, don’t be mad. You know what they do to dogs that are aggressive.’ You give him a large smirk ‘They have them neutered.’

Another round of laughs reverberates around you, with Jake’s eyes filling with anger, but ignoring him, you decide that it’s time for your revenge that they left you all alone all this time, so popping up to your feet just to be ready, you try to suppress your laughter as you bow a little bit and grin to him.

‘Aww, I’m sorry Jake. To reassure you that I’m sorry, I demand your paw in marriage!’

‘THAT’S IT, YOU’RE DEAD!’ he yells and rushes on his feet, but you are already running like crazy on the sand towards the sea, trying to avoid him and laughing so hard, that no sound comes out.

Still, you let out a loud scream as you feel two sturdy arms wrap around your waist hard and your feet detach from the sand, as Jake pulls you up with all the teenager had, flinging you hard right and left, making you only laugh harder and try your best to free yourself, your hands flying on his own and trying to loosen the grip. Embry stands up and rushes to the two of you, with the smile still plastered on his face, trying to pacify the merciless werewolf, who only stops and lets you down after a little while, laughing hard along with you, with pure joy filling your hearts.

‘That’ll serve you right.’ He laughs, releasing you from his grip.

Both of you turn and walk over towards Embry ‘You’re too weak Jake, I didn’t fee-‘

Before you even hard the chance to finish your sentence, a sharp pain shots up from the back of your head, numbing your whole brain almost immediately, throwing a thick mist over your eyes and conscience. You fail to maintain your balance, so the only thing you see out of the thick blurry wall that your eyes have turned to, is the sand coming towards you fast. You even fail to see the two hands that fly up and catch you right before you fall on the ground.

‘_____?!’ Embry’s voice sounds from somewhere close to you.

‘_____ are you okay?’ Jacob’s voice is full with worry.

‘M-my h-head’s k..killing me.’ You manage to murmur.

Then, you feel your feet detach from the sand and someone’s heart echoing somewhere beside you, pounding loudly and steadily inside his chest. Someone must have picked you up.

‘I think that’s enough for today.’ Embry’s voice echoes closer to you than before, worry lacing your best friend’s voice ‘I’ll take her home.’


	4. Chapter 4 A Promise Destined To Be Broken

The following morning found you waking up in Embry’s bed, carefully tucked under the warm covers and with the pain finally absent from your mind. Sitting up, you rub your eyes, trying to make the last specks of sleep abandon your mind and let you start your day, looking around you at the vast bedroom to locate your friend, only to see that he was gone. After the pain that shot up inside your mind yesterday, Embry had carried you back to his house, placing you on his bed carefully, minding not to put extra strain that would cause pain in your head, allowing you to lean on the soft surface softly. You were just too tired to help him out, your mind drifting between consciousness and unconsciousness like a small boat caught in a storm in the middle of the ocean. He stayed by your side the whole night, sleeping in his armchair, but still keeping an eye out in case you needed something.  
  
But now that you were finally awake, he was gone.  
  
Looking at the nightstand beside you, your eyes open wide with surprise when you realize that it’s almost 12 o’ clock at noon. You had slept in too much, so throwing your covers to the side, you make your way to the bathroom to be able to become a normal human being. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a new pair of clothes available, so for now, you would have to settle with your yesterday ones. Going around with your routine, you can’t help but wonder why Embry hadn’t woke you up and where the hell was he, but the answer to the second question must be that he was probably with the pack, doing some rounds to check if Victoria was still here. No matter how much you believed that the werewolves were strong and fast, you knew that vampires were definitely not an even match as an opponent to anyone, so you prayed that even if they happened to run into her, they wouldn’t be alone, but all together. In the mere thought that something might happen to either Embry or Jacob, your stomach immediately begins to turn and your heart to drop inside your chest. In this thought, you shake your head vigorously, trying to push the thought aside; no, they are both idiots, two big idiots for a matter of fact, but they were in no way stupid. They knew how to protect themselves.  
  
Descending the stairs, the rich aroma of something delicious being cooked reaches your nose, the same moment that a voice sounds loudly, coming from the kitchen.  
  
‘______ is that you? Come in the kitchen darling.’ a female voice sounds, immediately registering inside your mind to belong to Embry’s mother, Tiffany.  
  
You smile to yourself and walk over to the vast wooden [kitchen](https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSNlKjKK7EpiDjOzacfWExOQ1t4zS_oJyKEgjzcaynYlCeTwCpKWw) only to find the middle-aged woman smiling brightly at you while placing some fried bacon on a plate. In fact, the whole kitchen island was full of pretty much any food you could have as breakfast, from grapes and apples, to homemade waffles and cake. Before you had the chance to control it, your stomach complains loudly, making you throw a hand over it to prevent the sound somehow, as you smile to [Tiffany](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/c8/89/1d/c8891d2ebe47b7afa241d06fd1689e37.jpg) brightly and take a seat on a chair around the island.  
  
‘Good morning Tiffany. I see you are treating me once again like a queen.’ You joke merrily as the woman takes the seat across from you, shrugging her shoulders and smiling deviously.  
  
‘Whatever I can do about my boy’s best friend. Who -I sincerely hope- to have as a daughter-in-law someday.’ She laughs as you roll your eyes.  
  
‘Here we go again. Every time I see you, you always make the same comment. I swear to God.’ You comment, grabbing one of the muffins and biting into it. The strong strawberry flavor fills your mouth almost immediately as you chew slowly.  
  
‘And I will continue to, until you and Embry let it sink inside your thick heads. You are perfect for each other. Even your father agrees with me.’ her calm and sweet voice is painted with her smile.  
  
‘My dad can say whatever he wants. Only I will decide when the time comes and if the time comes. For now, I’m really happy to be on speaking terms with him once again.’ You shrug, continuing with your breakfast and watching Tiffany closely, as you see her gaze darken.  
  
‘You know, I was always telling him to tell you everything; I knew you would understand and treat him right, not run around in circles screaming for help. But, in the end of the day, it is a real wonder when Embry listens to the things I tell him.’ she sighs, taking a sip of her half and half coffee.  
  
In her comment, you let out a small chuckle.  
  
‘What can you do? Boys only age until when they are 9 years old. After that, they only get taller.’  
  
In your clever comment, she laughs so hard, that she almost drowns with her coffee ‘I guess you are right. This is why I want a girl like you beside him.’  
  
‘We had this conversation in the past.’ You cut her off ‘So why does the Tribe have another Council? I thought they had one a few days back.’ You try to change the subject, and miraculously, it works.  
  
Tiffany sighs and leaves her mug on the side, grabbing one of the grapes and popping some on her mouth, as her tired gaze wanders on the room around you, focusing on nothing in particular ‘It’s that single vampire.’ She breathes out eventually ‘She keeps coming back and invading our territories and the wolves have a hard time trying to catch her, so it worries the Elders too much. As your father said to me, they are trying to figure out a way to capture her. Maybe a net or something along those lines. Personally, I think this is a stupid idea.’  
  
‘It is.’ you nod ‘Vampires are strong and fast, so nets or anything else human made is practically useless; except if they decide to throw a nuclear bomb at her. Maybe that one is the only thing that can stop her.’  
  
‘I think you are right. These old fools don’t understand how things work. They should let the wolves do their jobs freely.’ Tiffany says.  
  
You knew that it was only because of your father that she knew what was going on. She and your dad were friends since the very first day Tiffany came to the Tribe, having Embry in her belly and shortly after she was abandoned. As Embry had told you one of those past days, at first she didn’t know anything about him phasing at all or about the wolves, so when the first incidents came and Embry was constantly disappearing without a warning or an explanation, she grew very worried. Eventually, your father felt sorry for her and let her know what was really going on. After that, even if she wasn’t actively member of the Tribe Council, she was keeping herself updated on what was going on and kept a close eye on her son, just to make sure that nothing bad was going to happen on the only thing she cared about. She was a lovely and passionate woman, so you couldn’t blame her at all. Hell, you fully understood her.  
  
Right at that moment, the front door of the house burst open with power and both your heads turned towards it, only to see a breathless Embry, dressed only in a pair of jeans and shoes enter, looking quite disheveled and panting heavily. His beautiful brown eyes immediately nailed themselves on you, making a shiver go down your spine as you straightened your posture, immediately realizing that something had happened.  
  
But as soon as you picked that up, Embry straightened himself and smiled ‘Hey girls. Baby girl, how are you feeling?’ he said as he rushed to your side quickly, under your suspicious gaze.  
  
‘Hey Embry. Glad to see that you recognized your own mother as well.’ Tiffany teases him.  
  
‘I’m okay Embry, better than yesterday.’ You say, your façade falling in place as you turn to the counter and grab another French toast, eating and knowing that he was boiling up with the news he was about to blurt out. You just had to wait.  
  
‘Glad to hear that.’ he breathes out in a rush ‘U-umm, I have some news that you are not going to like at all.’  
  
‘I knew that from the very first moment you enter. Spill the beans.’ You say calmly.  
  
‘I need you to promise me to keep your cool though, okay?’ he urges you, and when you turn to look at him, your gaze is again, even.  
  
‘I promise not to beat you up if that’s what you mean.’ You shrug ‘Now, tell me what is the thing that interrupts my breakfast.’  
  
‘Bella jumped off a cliff and almost drowned, Jake saved her and took her back at her house almost half an hour ago and I thought you would like to know, since she asked for you once we got her back at the house, but no need to worry though, she seems perfectly fine to me and the rest of us, so we didn’t even called the doctor, since she didn’t want to either, so we left her to rest, but right now, Jacob is with her to keep an eye out. Please don’t be mad.’ He says in one breath.  
  
There was a small pause. Both Embry and Tiffany had their gazes nailed on you, waiting for the inevitable storm. Though, to their utter surprise, you continued to munch on the French toast calmly.  
  
‘Embry.’  
  
‘Yeah.’ He breathes out in the sound of your voice, unwillingly leaning in.  
  
‘Do wolves run faster than cars?’  
  
‘Of course we do.’  
  
‘Then get your f*cking #ss out the door and take me to Bella. NOW!’  
  
  


**~*~**

  
  
  
‘I can’t believe you would do something so stupid! What the hell crossed your mind Bella? Did you even think what would have happened if no one was near enough to save you?! ARE YOU SUICIDAL NOW?!’ your voice reverberated inside the living room in Swan residence, sounding hard and merciless as you were pacing up and down the space, flailing your hands in the air with anger and throwing dagger looks both to Bella, who was laying on the couch under many blankets in order to restore her body temperature and to Jacob and Embry, who were sitting one on the armchair and one on the arm of the armchair like wet dogs, their gazes locked on the floor to evade your outburst.  
  
‘I was just cliff diving ______, there is no need to worry.’ Bella whispers, trying to pacify you.  
  
‘Cliff diving. CLIFF DIVING! You call falling from a cliff into the stormy sea that Victoria was lurking and almost drowning CLIFF DIVING?! So if I jumped off a seven storey building, what should I call it?! BUNGEE JUMPING?!’  
  
‘Don’t you think you are a bit overreacting _____?’ Jake dares to say.  
  
‘Really Jake? What is your explanation in all this then?’ you dare him, but right at that point, a sharp pain flashes from the wound in your head. Unwillingly, your face distorts in a pained expression and your injured hand flies on the wound. In a mere second, Embry is right beside you, pulling you against him to prevent you from falling down and placing you gently on the sofa behind you. Instead of pulling away from him, the pain was so strong and sudden, that you allow your best friend to take care of you without complain.  
  
‘I’m going to bring you some painkiller baby doll. I’ll be back in a jiffy.’ He whispers and releasing you, he walks towards the kitchen.  
  
Closing your eyes, you allow yourself to take a few calm breaths and let the reality sink in. As Embry informed you this morning, Bella indeed had jumped off a cliff in an attempt, as she said, to try cliff diving. Embry had transformed into his wolf form the moment you were outside and carried you in his back to Bella’s place. It was an…… interesting experience riding the big grey wolf through the forest and since you couldn’t lie to yourself, shortly after you started making your way over, you found yourself enjoying the ride. Yet, it had come to an end faster than you’d like. Going inside the house and finding Bella more pale than ever and almost shivering from the cold under the blankets, not only didn’t help you calm down, but triggered your nerves even more. So for the past hour and so, you’ve been yelling nonstop towards her and the wolves.  
  
When Embry brought you the pill along with a glass of water, you had already started to calm down, your voice gruff from all the yelling, but nonetheless, you thanked him weakly before you took it. It was indeed a good thing, since after another couple of minutes, you had completely cooled off, so you decided that it was best to make something for dinner, since Charlie and your dad were at the funeral. You were also saddened to hear today, that Harry Clearwater had suffered a heart-attack, from which he was never able to recover and your thoughts went to the family this lovely man had left behind. Seth was only a child and Leah had already been through enough, without the death of her father. You just hoped that everything would work out for everyone at the end, because all of you needed your solid chance into happiness, even if it sometimes seemed fleeting and only a mirage.  
  
Out of the corner of your eye, you continued to pay close attention to Bella, who only seemed to recover part of her vitality after a while and more importantly, after she had been fed a nice meal made by you. Embry had helped you of course and Jake had never left Bella’s side, but as the sun started to set in the distant horizon behind the luxurious green pines, the boys had to leave you to do their rounds around the house and the forest. As you escorted them to the front door though, they reassured you that they would not go too far and be around, just in case anything happens and you couldn’t help but thank them for being so thoughtful of you, leaving aside your prideful character for a little bit. You were in no position to protect Bella from supernatural enemies and you knew it. As Embry kissed your forehead goodbye, you promised laconically to Jacob that you would keep Bella from harm’s way, until they would be back. With your best friend giving you a cocky smile and messing with your hair, the two of them turn and head towards the trees.  
  
‘Hey Bells, you want me to make us some popcorn?’ you suggest. Both of you were sitting on the comfortable sofa, having wrapped around you the warm blanket and watching the cooking TV show with much interest, seeing the cook making some guacamole. It was almost eleven, so after an hour you would probably head to bed. The boys were gone for three hours now and only once had you caught a glimpse of Embry in his wolf form outside the window.  
  
‘Sure. I’ll come help, I’m sick of sitting around.’ She said decisively, tossing the blanket to the side and rising on her feet, with you following her shortly after.  
  
‘You know, you should be resting instead of walking around.’ You chuckle lightly.  
  
‘I’m not a cripple ______.’ She groans.  
  
‘Oh, I know that sweetie.’ You raise your hand to turn the light switch of the kitchen on, but before you do, the lights flash on and your stomach sinks inside you, as realization settles in. You were not alone.  
  
There was a girl inside the kitchen.  
  
Both you and Bella let out a bloodcurdling scream that reverberated inside the silent house and makes the windows shake violently, as you throw yourself in front of your bestie, feeling her immediately hugging you for dear life from behind, shaking like a feather, as you turn to engage in battle with the intruder. Who the hell was in now? Well, come at you bro and you’ll serve them their %sses on a cold plate! How dare they invade the house?! Yet as your eyes settle on the girl that looks back at you with the same surprise, your brain quickly registers her characteristics. She was very beautiful, with an extremely petite figure, as well as rather short, with small, pixie-like features. She had large eyes and long, delicate eyebrows. Her hair was cropped short, spiky, and inky black, protruding at some points towards every possible corner.  
  
Wait a minute.  
  
You knew that ‘elfish’ appearance.  
  
‘Alice!’ Bella’s brain processes the view faster than yours and soon enough, the girl releases you and runs over to your friend, her hands swift to wrap around her with sheer power ‘Oh my God!’  
  
‘Bella!’ she exclaims surprised.  
  
In the sound of her name, Bella immediately takes a step back, tears starting to cascade from her eyes ‘I’m sorry, I just can’t believe you are here!’  
  
‘When did you come back Alice?’ you finally breathe out, earning the attention of the petite girl, who gives you a worried gaze, her watchful eyes falling on your bandaged hand and then back to Bella.  
  
‘Girls, first things first! Bella, you care to explain to me how you are alive?! And _____, what happened to your arm?!’ she says urgently.  
  
‘W-what?’ Bella stutters.  
  
‘I saw a vision of you Bella! You jumped off a cliff! Why on earth would you try to kill yourself? What about Charlie?’ the elfish girl snaps towards Bella ‘And you _____, do you have a death wish going up against Victoria?!’ she says, turning her head towards you.  
  
‘I didn’t have a death wish; I didn’t know she was there in the first place. And Bella went cliff diving; she didn’t attempt to kill herself. She just wanted to have fun.’ You shrug casually, keeping your calm gaze on your bestie’s black eyes.  
  
‘I have never met two people at once, carrying all this life-threatening idiocy. Do you know how worried I was?’ she finally breathes out, her strict posture loosening up.  
  
‘Did you…’ Bella interrupts her ‘Did you tell….him?’  
  
Alice eyes fall back to the brown-haired girl and she sighs ‘No, he only calls once a month. He says he wants to be alone.’  
  
Bella looks down and you cross your hands over your chest, exchanging a meaningful look with Alice, right before you see her nose shrink and a sheer look of disgust spread across her face.  
  
‘What is that awful wet dog smell, both of you reek off?’ she says, but before you have the chance to respond, there is another loud crashing noise and the front door goes flying open.  
  
‘_____! Bella!’ Jacob’s voice reaches your ears immediately, sounding hurried and full of terror, as two heavy pairs of feet come crashing against the floor, before both Jacob and Embry barge inside the kitchen fast and in their human forms, obviously high in alert, with their gazes scanning the place up, falling firstly on you and Bella and then at Alice, who only narrows her eyes instinctively, as a rumbling noise comes from Jake’s neck, as he snarls at her threatenly, ready to charge at any given moment.  
  
‘Werewolves are not good company girls.’ The petite girl says to you, her eyes nailed on the two intruders.  
  
‘Funny, I was about to say the very same thing.’ Jacob throws back at her.  
  
‘Are you okay _____? Bella?’ Embry’s gaze falls first to you and then to Bella, his dark brown eyes strict and cautious. He was trying to see if you were hurt.  
  
‘Everything’s okay Embry.’ You give him a small smile, trying to pacify him.  
  
‘We had to see that you were safe. We heard you screaming, so we came as soon as we could.’ Jacob informs Bella coldly.  
  
‘Well, I’m not going to hurt them.’ Alice speaks up, her voice with a faint tint of irritation.  
  
‘Of course not. You are a harmless Cullen. You can’t do sh!t.’ Jake throws back.  
  
‘Hey! No insulting under my watch. Alice is our friend, so treat her with respect.’ You speak up, your austere tone making Jacob turn to look at you and then away.  
  
‘______, Alice, can you give me a minute to speak with Jake?’ Bella whispers.  
  
You exchange another look with Alice and then you move towards the living room. You grab Embry’s hand and you tag him along with you, walking towards the farthest corner in the living room, were you firstly turn to Embry. You still had your mind to Bella and Jake, in case something went bad with their chat, but you needed to focus on matters at hand.  
  
‘Embry, Alice is my best friend so please treat her as you would treat me. She was the one that helped me back with James.’ For the first time, your façade breaks and the worry hiding behind your eyes is evident all over your face. You couldn’t afford having Embry treat Alice badly. But still, you wouldn’t have to.  
  
Under your completely stupefied gaze, Embry raises his hand into a handshake with Alice ‘Whoever treats my baby doll right is a friend of mine as well.’  
  
Alice seemed to be as surprised as you ‘A civilized wolf? Well, that’s a first.’ She returns the handshake.  
  
‘Well, meetings aside, what’s been going on Alice? I thought that you would at least have contacted me. Do you have any idea how Bella was all this time?’ you cross your hands over your chest, anger slowly creeping its way inside your heart, like hot lava.  
  
‘I knew. I’m sorry to say that I really know how she was. But there was nothing I could do, he told us not to mess with her anymore. That we had done far enough damage already.’ Alice tries to defend herself.  
  
‘There is no excuse Alice. You know that he can’t tell you what to do!’ you sigh ‘Where is he now?’ you question, as a phone rings from the kitchen. But you ignore it.  
  
‘He is at Rio de Janeiro. Or at least that’s what he-‘ her phrase is cut in half suddenly and you see her eyes having no focus for a split second. It was as if her attention what distracted, but you knew damn well what that was.  
  
‘What’s up with her?’ Embry says, but you only ignore him this time.  
  
‘Alice, what are you seeing?’ you grab the petite girl from the shoulders and try to avert her attention back to you.  
  
‘Oh no. Bella!’  
  
Ignoring both you and Embry completely, she turns and rushes towards the kitchen, with you following after her immediately, sensing that there was something terrible going on. Your heart races against your chest as all of you enter the kitchen once again, only for Alice to grab Bella from the shoulders.  
  
‘Bella, it’s Edward! He thinks you are dead! Rosalie told him why I came here!’  
  
This time, your brain is unable to focus on the sudden info with which he was presented with. The image of the golden eyed man flashes before your eyes and you can immediately see panic and despair forming on Bella’s chocolate brown eyes and in response to your friend’s panicked state, you can’t help but feel your breathing quicken.  
  
‘W-what are we going to do? WHY WOULDN’T YOU LET ME TALK TO HIM?!’ her voice rises for the first time in all the months she had been catatonic, her gaze focused on Jake and being absolutely accusing.  
  
‘Bella calm down h-‘ you try to say, but Alice interrupts you.  
  
‘He is going to the Volturi! He wants to die too!’  
  
The news hit you like a brick wall. Bella almost faints.  
  
‘What the-! What are we supposed to do?! Why? What?’ Bella’s hands fly to her hair desperately, but the unexpected response, comes from your own calm mind, that seems to be the only one functioning well.  
  
‘Bella, calm down, there is only one thing to do.’ her eyes nail themselves on your determined face ‘We are going to get him back.’  


**~*~**

  
  
The next five minutes pass in a complete haze from the running around you do, in order to get ready. You could see that Bella’s jaw had tightened in determination and the light behind her eyes had once again lit up as she was writing the note she was going to leave for her father and you went around with picking up a few necessities for the trip. You were going with them; there was absolutely no arguing about it. Alice had gone to bring the car and in complete contrast to Jacob, who was trying to convince Bella not to go after Edward, Embry was silently and stoically helping you gather your stuff, offering you some words of advice on how to protect yourself properly as well as information on how to contact him if need be.  
  
The moment Alice was out with the car, both you and Bella pretty much ejected yourselves out of the house rushing towards the car. It was only as your hand wrapped around the car doorknob that Embry finally stopped you.  
  
‘Are you sure about this baby doll?’ he whispers ever-so-lightly to you, his kind eyes filling with sweetness and worry.  
  
‘I’m sorry Embry, but I have to help Bells. Please take care of my father and I’ll be back in no time. I promise, nothing will happen.’ You try to pacify him.  
  
His hand raises and cups your cheek tenderly, his face inches away from your own and his touch extremely warm, like fire ‘Just promise me that you are going to come back. I only want you to come back safe and sound.’  
  
‘I will. I promise.’ You say, wrapping your hands around him, pulling him in a tight hug.  
  
He hugs you back immediately and for a few moments, the both of you just stay there, savoring the moment.  
  
Then, you release yourself and enter the car.


	5. Chapter 5 In Dangerous Waters

One thing you had to admit was that Volterra was breathtaking.  
  
For a girl that the farthest she had gone in her life was Seattle, suddenly finding yourself in a completely different and magnificent country was the least an overwhelmingly amazing experience. As the medieval structured town was resting lazily on the small cliff that towered above the road in which you were driving, you couldn’t help but lean yourself towards the car window, your gaze burning on the breathtaking scenery that unraveled around you, filling your heart with a strong thrill that made it pound loudly.  
  
To begin with, Italy was the exact opposite from Forks.  
  
The strong sunlight that was cascading the clear blue sky, was filling the whole place up with a mercilessly strong light, which gave off a warm wave that you could feel even inside the air-conditioned car, emitting heat like no other. The most dominant colors all around you were not the luxurious green and almost liquid grey, but instead, the harsh brown and the silvery green. One gaze at the soil was enough to understand that these grounds were not moist; they were hard and unyielding, seemingly impossible to hold any form of flora on them, as if all attempts to cultivate these grounds would only be in vain. Yet, before your amazed (e/c) eyes, expanded endless fields filled with almost ancient olive trees, their silver-green leaves waving at the faint breeze that filtered among them nonchalantly, allowing it to be cleansed and ready to race against the vast valleys, bringing the only form of fresh and cold air on the people that inhabited this place. Yes, no matter how alien and unwelcoming these grounds looked, they had been tamed, producing –as it appeared- both virgin olive oil and wine as well, since the olive trees where accompanied by fields filled with deep purple and light green grapes. In contrast to the almost romantic beauty of the scenery in Forks, Italy had a raw and stern beauty and yet it was a breathtaking place, with extremely vivid colors. This was definitely not the place where earth would give you its most precious nutrients without a fight; no, you had to fight to get them, since the only chance you had, was your two, hard-working, own hands.  
  
As you entered the medieval town, you were taken aback by the tall buildings, all in the color of faint or vivid tile red, towering above the small roads that barely enabled one car to pass at a time. People were coming and going, all of them having a completely different beauty from what you were used to see back in America, with their sunburned skin and the big smiles that never seemed to leave their faces, as if the sun was not shining on the sky, but inside their full of life eyes. The people that inhabited this place were exactly like the scenery around them: loud and full of life. Everywhere around you, you could see beautiful flowers decorating the windows of the houses and in some cases even the walls, with the deep green ivy gracing the whole place by producing vivid fuchsia flowers.  
  
The liveliness of this place was infectious and you allowed yourself a small smile. But there was no time to waste anymore.  
  
Because as you rushed inside the small town, trying to get as close to Edward as you could, passing fast among the sea of people that were wearing red capes, celebrating –as Alice said- the release from the vampire threat, time was surely against you. You had admired Alice’s skills in grand theft auto of a yellow Porsche and driving fast without running over someone, but even than seemed not to be enough. Your heart was pounding loudly inside your chest and you could only imagine how Bella must be feeling, as when a policeman pulled you to the side, she practically jumped off the car and started racing towards the direction that Alice pointed her to. But that didn’t mean that you and Alice would go anywhere with the car.  
  
‘We must follow her, things will get ugly if we leave them alone.’ Alice informs you, turning her head away from the strong sunlight and completely ignoring the policeman, who was yelling something in Italian.  
  
‘We shall save the day again huh? I wouldn’t stay here even if you told me so Alice. We have to move fast.’ Grabbing her by her gloved hand, you start to make way among the huge crowd of people, pushing them away with your free hand and leading the two of you towards the clock tower in a bee-line.  
  
The huge crowd of people seemed as if they were moving towards it as well, making it harder to rush there in time. Every so often, you would turn and gaze back at Alice, who seemed to have trouble avoiding the sun and following you at the same time, so your hand around hers was pretty much her life-vest to both sanity and avoidance into revealing what she really was. Behind the black lenses of her glasses, you could clearly see her eyes unfocused and turning at every possible corner, as the visions must have been eating her mind away, possibilities of the future that seemed grim, since her beautiful lips had half opened and the elfish vampire-girl was frowning. So it was pretty much up to you to guide both of you and keep her calm, even if your own heart was ready to stop inside your chest, as adrenaline was poisoning your every fiber. The situation was grim and you knew it; you were a human who was about to walk inside a lair full of vampires. Nothing good would come of this.  
  
‘Alice, talk to me. What are you seeing?’ you yell at her, as you push a couple aside and pass among them.  
  
‘She managed to stop him. They are inside the building, but two of the Volturi guards are with them.’ She says, as you find yourself in a long-awaited opening. In the middle of it, was an astonishing, marble fountain with clear water coming out of the hands of the goddess that graced the center. Gazing up, you immediately spot the clock. You had finally arrived. Right across from where the two of you were standing, there was a simple wooden door. This was it.  
  
‘It’s okay Alice, I think we found them.’ You say, but before you manage to take another step, an iron vine grabs you hard by your hand and yanks you towards it, so turning, you see Alice holding on to you for dear life, her hands flying on your shoulders and grabbing you so hard, that you flinch in pain.  
  
‘What the hell Alice?’  
  
‘_____, you have to listen to me very carefully.’ She ignores your question and tightens her grip even more ‘We are about to walk inside the home of the most vicious vampires that rule the earth. They are not like our family; they feed in human blood and stop at nothing to do so. Do you understand that?’  
  
‘Yeah, I know where I got myself into Alice.’ You try to pacify her and free yourself, but it’s like trying to push a concrete wall.  
  
In your words, she nods desperately, her white skin illuminated for a few seconds by the sun ‘What you don’t know though, is that they are collectors. They search everywhere so they can find the rarest of powers among both mortals and immortals, in order to take them. Whatever you do, absolutely do not show them your powers under any circumstances. We won’t be able to help you if you do, you’ll be on your own. Do you understand me?’  
  
‘I do. No powers.’ You nod seriously, the seriousness of the situation playing inside your mind.  
  
‘Good. And don’t leave my side.’ She advises, finally releasing you and making her way towards the door. You follow her obediently, your face falling in a serious expression, as Alice grabs the handle and tries to open the huge wooden door.  
  
Of course, luck wouldn’t favorite you with an unlocked door, so when it doesn’t budge, Alice punches it hard. The metallic sound breaking through the wood fills your ears, as the door open and both of you make your way inside the dark interior.  
  
‘C’mon guys.’ Alice cheerful voice breathes out as she takes her sunglasses off ‘It’s a festival; you wouldn’t like to make a scene.’  
  
As your eyes adjust to the sudden shadows, you see the four figures standing not so far from you, with you immediately recognizing the bronze colored hair and pale white skin of Edward, as his shoulders had leaned slightly in the front, clearly on a faint attack mode, with a distressed Bella standing right behind him and closer to you and Alice. Her eyes were filled with a silent horror to the lurking danger, but the way she was leaning towards her boyfriend, filled your heart with relief, since it was obvious that she had already started to heal. The moment these words formed inside your head, you saw Edward straighten himself a little bit and his head turning, as he pinned his sorrowful black eyes to you, making you highly conscious about your thoughts; you were sure that he had just read that last part about Bella straight from your mind and you couldn’t help but feel sad about it. Thinking that you were sorry, you see his gaze soften and his lips twitching for a few seconds, as if he was desperately trying to reassure you with a faint smile. Alice was already by his side, so you walked beside Bella and took your bestie’s hand in yours, ready to defend her with everything you had.  
  
‘Well Edward, you know that the party won’t start till me and Alice walk in.’ you offer him a bright smile and a wink, as you turn your gaze towards the two guards that were standing a few meters away, their postures seemingly relaxed, but you knew better than this.  
  
‘Another human, Edward?’ your gaze immediately turns towards the sound of a gruff and breathy voice, only to see……Mount Everest in a vampire shape.  
  
This time, you are aware of Edward smiling and trying not to laugh, but you are completely amazed to turn to him. The vampire that had just spoken was so tall and buff, that you were amazed he could find clothes on his size. He was _really _tall, towering many inches above your head –and everyone else’s for all that that matters- and obviously reaching at the height of 6’ 7’ feet, making him the tallest man you had ever seen in your life. His body was really muscular and thick, especially around the shoulders, with his skin having the same chalky paleness as the rest of the vampires that you had seen and eyes in the rich shade of burgundy red, revealing his appetite on humans. Other than that, he had dark brown hair which was short and cropped carefully. His whole aura was hulking and menacing, reminding you of an iron-spiked cudgel.  
  
He was wearing a long dark grey coat, while he was holding on a red cape, his eyes nailed on you, in a manner that you did not like at all.  
  
‘At least the second one is more… pleasant to the eyes, Felix.’ The other one says.  
  
But as you turn towards the second one, earth is lost under your feet.  
  
The male vampire that was standing on your left, only two or three steps away from you and standing next to his comrade was by far, the most beautiful vampire you had seen in your entire life, so much, that for a few milliseconds, for just a few heartbeats, you were under the strong impression that you were looking upon a dream that had come to life. Air was knocked out of your lungs and your lips parted, as you inhaled sharply, your heartbeat turning into one continuous hum and your eyes widening, since your brain refused to take in such beauty at first. This one was completely different from his comrade, being lean but fairly muscular nonetheless, still being rather tall by standing at the proud height of 6’ 3’ even if he appeared thinner and shorter at first as he stood beside the vampire Hercules.  
  
He had short, frosted sand-brown hair that was partially spiked, reminding you of the rich but dark golden color that the sand possessed at the late summer days, matching it with the usual extremely pale skin in the shade of snow. His facial features were a bit sharp and beautiful at the same time, consisting of a fairly strong jawline, thin lips and piercing red eyes, a shade darker than the usual burgundy color, seemingly having a depth that added allure inside his gaze. Suddenly, you found yourself drawn to him, something that was both unexpected as well as unsettling; making your brain command you to look away from his hypnotic stare that continued to be nailed on your (e/c) orbs. He appeared to be roughly around 24 years of age, though you knew that this was highly unlikely to be true, yet his whole posture was sharp and careful like the blade of a sword that was ready to strike at any given moment. He was wearing a dark grey coat as well and was smiling carefully, with his voice sounding low, raspy and if you were allowed to say, smokey, sounding like a deep bell sound.  
  
He was so breathtakingly handsome, it was insane.  
  
Yet, in the next second, you command your brain to focus and you grace him with an ironic smile.  
  
‘I see that you liked what you saw Voltur-doggie.’ You smile even more ‘I’m sorry, but Bella and I have to see the festival outside, so you and vamp-Hercules can go back to your masters.’  
  
‘I am afraid we cannot allow that.’ this time his smile is wide, but his eyes dangerous.  
  
‘The girls will be left out of this Demetri. So they will go outside.’ Edward threatens.  
  
‘You should have thought more carefully about their involvement before you brought them here Edward. Now they will have to come with us.’ The man-mountain named Felix barks, his patience obviously running thin.  
  
‘Says who exactly?’ you bite out, your eyes narrowing at both of the guards.  
  
The man named Demetri chuckles a bit ‘As you, yourself, human, would probably say: our dog master.’ He says, playing along with your previous insult, obviously finding it amusing. You do notice that his eyes never stray from you though, something that makes anger bubble up inside your heart.  
  
‘I would advise you to be careful. I was raised by a pack of wolves, so I bite pretty hard. Me and Bella will be leaving, so if you don’t like it, deal with it.’ You throw at him angrily.  
  
‘You are not going anywhere.’ He repeats.  
  
‘Why is it such a big deal for them to not go outside? They are not going to start a ruckus.’ Alice tries to pacify the heat among all of you, smiling kindly to the two Volturi.  
  
‘They are aware of our existence, so they are dangerous. The Volturi will decide what their fates will be.’ Felix says sternly.  
  
‘Go to hell.’ Edward barks, raising his hand to protect both the love of his life and you.  
  
‘Enough.’ A voice reverberated from behind all of you, bouncing off the walls and sounding as sharp as a needle.  
  
Averting your careful gaze unwillingly from Demetri and Felix, your eyes fall upon a strange girl that is walking to your direction, the heels of her shoes sounding again and again as they come in contact with the marble-paved floor. The newcomer girl was almost as tiny as Alice, with lank, pale blonde hair tied in a careful bun. Her body under the cloak —which this time was darker, almost black— was slim and androgynous and could be easily mistaken to belong to a preteen boy. But the face was too pretty for a boy. The wide-eyed, full-lipped face that was graced by two red moons, was so beautiful, that even Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty could not rival it at all. Her voice might have sounded like a child’s, high and thin, but it was filled with an air of apathy or boredom, yet maintaining a heavily authoritative tone. In her presence, you didn’t fail to notice that Demetri and Felix shifted a little bit.  
  
‘Jane.’ Edward murmured and slightly bowed his head.  
  
‘Aro send me to see what was taking you so long.’ She simply announced when she finally came to a stop, only to turn and start walking back once again.  
  
Puzzled, you turn towards Alice for an answer, who only nods to you a bit, her eyes filled with worry and anxiousness, immediately sending you the message that something was not going well. Thus, when you see Edward taking Bella’s hand and start walking behind the blonde girl, you knew what had gone so wrong that made Alice pass her hand on your elbow and start leading you behind them.  
  
They were taking you to their masters.


	6. Chapter 6 The Road Of No Return

Holding onto Alice’s hand for seemingly dear life, you allowed your best friend to lead you behind Bella, Edward and Jane, leading you further and further inside this hell of a medieval castle. Even if you weren’t a vampire yourself, you were absolutely positive that you were able to hear your own heartbeat, beating abnormally loudly inside your chest, not only reacting to your growing terror –which you had no way to hold back- but also to the constant threat that the new bloodthirsty vampires posed to you. Who knows if they were just leading you further inside to rip your heads off, away from any preying human eyes? For all that you knew, you couldn’t trust those son-of-a-b!tches one single bit.   
  
The moment this thought formed into your mind, you saw Edward turn and give you a brief, stern gaze, reading your thoughts and by the way his hand tightened instinctively around Bella’s waist, you knew that you were in for some serious danger. You could feel it deep down in your guts as the hallway you were walking on started becoming more and more narrow and the light seemed to abandon you. You didn’t know where you were going and honestly, didn’t want to know either, so the steady hand of Alice was your only ray of hope that was stopping you from turning around and making a run for it.  
  
Yet, even if you were unable to hear them, you knew that Felix and Demetri were walking right behind you, making sure that no attempts to run off would be made. You could clearly feel a pair of sharp eyes burning your back away, so by the nonchalant wolf-whistle that Felix was producing, you knew that it was Demetri that was watching you curiously. Unwillingly, you felt a shiver go down your spine and your conscience to be driven to the edge; your brain struggled to figure out what had made you the center of his attention, something that couldn’t possibly be good. Maybe he had noticed a little ‘trick’ you had applied to yourself right when you passed through that doors; a little trick that would either protect you or kill you. If you were out in the open, you would have already turned and slapped him to stop doing that, but the dark and narrow path inside what appeared to be Roman–built sewers, which were now possibly used as a subterranean network into and out of the castle, couldn’t allow you that.  
  
The walls were dripping with moisture and the air was heavy with humidity, making the cold penetrate your skin like a sharp arrow and you tighten your grasp onto Alice, before you realize that she couldn’t provide you with the much needed warmth your body craved for; where the hell was Embry when you needed him? Yet, you were vaguely aware that the cold was helping soothe the pain that suddenly resonated from your bitten left hand and your almost cracked head. So it was a win-and-lose situation here.  
  
At some point Edward and Alice had a little chat, but your brain chose not to pay any attention whatsoever as you finally entered the completely dark and cold sewers. Now, you were completely freezing, your whole body shaking violently due to the humidity and in a desperate attempt to get some heat, you let go of Alice and wrap your hands around your own body trying your best to keep the warmth it resonated for yourself. It was extremely hard not to allow your teeth to chatter together and the extreme temperature that you were facing made your mood quite irritable, if you also add the constant stares you felt coming from Demetri, which made pure anger bubble up inside of you.  
  
For his good looks, he sure as hell was annoying.  
  
So when you hear an amused chuckle, you were pretty tempted to turn around and punch him.  
  
‘I wonder; will you, fragile human, die if you stay here a little bit longer?’ he observes from right behind you, his voice calm but clearly amused.  
  
‘I have th-the same question. If I lit you o-n f-fire, will I warm myself up e-enough?’ you throw angrily at him, your voice coming out in a low growl.  
  
He chuckles even more ‘Mmmm, a feisty one.’  
  
‘Wait till you see me mad.’ You growl, as you finally reach a brightly lit hallway.  
  
The walls were completely white, with the floor carpeted in a dark gray color. The usual rectangular fluorescent lights were spaced evenly along the ceiling and it was much warmer here, for which you were surely quite grateful about. This hall seemed welcoming to say the least, in comparison to the cold sewers that you passed before. The massive oak door ahead of you was obviously leading to an elevator, in which the little girl named Jane was waiting. Alice grabbed your hand discretely and pulled you beside Bella, as she and Edward stood on the sides, obviously trying to protect you and keep you away from the two guards and the girl. You didn’t fail to notice that Edward wasn’t leaving Jane out of his sight, his jaw clenched hard, but Alice didn’t seem to be sharing his concerns.  
  
When the elevator doors closed, you kept your gaze focused right in front of you, but still were able to see Demetri looking at you with his leisure, not bothering whether or not someone saw him and with Felix smiling crookedly to his comrade for reasons unknown. Still, it only helped with stirring your anger and uneasiness more.  
  
Thankfully for your sanity and wellbeing, the elevator ride was short; so when you stepped out, you found yourself into what looked like a posh office reception area. The walls were paneled in wood, with the floors being adorned with a luxurious deep green carpet. Instead of windows, there were large, brightly lit paintings of the Tuscan countryside hung everywhere as replacements, something that enhanced the feeling of no escape inside your already worried mind. In the middle of the room was a high, polished mahogany counter and behind it, stood……a woman that was as human as you and Bella.  
  
She was a bit taller than you, with wheat colored skin and filled with kindness blue eyes. She was wearing a dark brown dress that complimented her slim waist and the moment all of you entered, she stood up and smiled politely.  
  
‘Good afternoon, Jane,’ she said.  
  
Jane nodded. ‘Gianna.’  
  
You opened your mouth to ask, but Bella beat you into it this time ‘Does she know?’ she asked, her head turning to meet with Edward’s black eyes.  
  
‘Yes.’ The answer in all its simplicity, shocked you.  
  
‘Then why?.....she wants to be..’ Bella almost held her breath.  
  
‘And she will be.’ Demetri commented from behind you.  
  
‘This is pure suicide.’ You comment bitterly, watching Gianna from the edges of your vision, but before anyone had the chance to make another comment, Jane pushes a set of dark, metallic double doors and you all pass inside a vast, round room.  
  
For a single second, you really thought that you had stepped inside another century; maybe you had traveled back in time to the Roman era, because the majestic room that towered well above your heads was something out of a total dream. The ceiling was arcing well above you, with bright windows allowing the sunlight to enter and illuminate the white surfaces like they were made from the purest and rarest white marble that was in existence, reflecting the light into small, breathtaking rainbows. The columns that supported the ceiling had the Latin numerals, while the floor was decorated in black and white tiles.  
  
‘Sister! We send you out to bring back two and….two half?’ a voice resonates inside the majestic room.  
  
It was only then that you realized you were not alone and there was a boy standing right in front of Jane, a few meters away. He was wearing a pearl grey suit and his resemblance to Jane was somewhat extreme, with the only differences being that he had short brown hair and was a bit taller than Jane. Both of them were angelically beautiful and threatening, all at the same time.  
  
‘What a happy surprise!’ another voice said happily ‘Bella is alive, after all!’  
  
Averting your gaze from Jane and the boy, your eyes focus on three figures that were sitting on what seemed like thrones.  
  
The one sitting on the right was clearly on his early 20s and his hair was silky blonde, almost matching his pale skin that was so white, it reminded you of chalk being almost translucent. With a fairly charming appearance, his eyes were in a shade of dark red, though they somehow appeared cloudy or milky, coming in total contrast with what you had seen in the other vampires you had encountered. Their deep shade were not as luxurious as the one Demetri had, and for some reason, it stirred an unpleasant feeling inside of you, that was only enhanced, since the blonde man’s expression reminded you of someone that had something that smelled awful permanently stuck under his nose. He was looking at all of you as if his gaze would set you on fire.  
  
Moving to the complete other side, was the epitome of melancholy. The man that was definitely in his mid 40’s had black hair up to his shoulder, with an average build. His white skin was translucent with a papery texture just like the blonde one and his red vampire eyes had the same haziness, yet he was so expressionless and uninterested about everything that was unfolding right in front of him, that the blurriness of his eyes was only enhanced in a strange way. There was sadness radiating off this man, which only made you somehow sad. You didn’t know why, you just felt like that.  
  
Then, there was the third one that was standing right in the middle and was now making his way towards Bella and Edward. His skin was white as well, like onionskin, and it looked just as delicate—it stood in shocking contrast to the long raven black hair that framed his face majestically, making him look a bit younger than he probably was. He had an average build, being 5'10" tall and the way he moved was so graceful, that it almost seemed like he was floating on some kind of cloud, not even touching the ground under his feet. His eyes were in the very same shade as the two others.  
  
He reached Edward with a few long strides and kept the same bright smile on his face ‘I love happy endings.’ He proclaimed and took Edward’s hand on his own gently, making Bella reach out instinctively to retreat her lover’s hand ‘They are so, so rare.’  
  
For a few seconds, death-like silence fell over all of you.  
  
‘La tua cantante!’ the man exclaimed suddenly ‘Her blood appeals to you so much, it makes me thirsty. How can you fight it?’  
  
‘Not without a struggle.’ Is the only answer Edward gives him, before he slightly turns his head towards you and Bella ‘Aro can read all the thoughts you ever had. With only one touch.’  
  
This sounded more sinister than it should. So when Aro’s head turns and nails itself on you, you can’t help but take a small step back, your lungs trapping the air they had inhaled inside of them. Your heart immediately starts to run a marathon, which was something you were not welcoming right at that point.  
  
‘You…’ he exhales pointing at you ‘You are a strange one.’  
  
Alice hand tightens inside yours ‘W-what do you mean?’ you ask, your voice barely above a whisper.  
  
You didn’t fail to see the step he takes closer to you ‘You have no scent. I can clearly hear your heartbeat, but there is absolutely no scent to accompany it. So peculiar for a human, don’t you think sweetheart?’ he purrs and smiles to you.  
  
You gulp hard ‘I-I guess it happens.’  
  
His head tilts to the side a little bit, but the smile never leaves his lips ‘Happens? Maybe…’  
  
‘Now you’ve learnt everything Aro. Let’s get this over with.’ Edward suddenly speaks up and you almost exhale deeply when Aro’s attention averts back to the couple.  
  
‘You are quite the soul reader yourself Edward.’ He answers to the obviously on attack mode man, no matter how much Edward tried to hide it. He was worried and you completely understood him. ‘Except for Bella. _Fascinating_. I wonder….let us see if she is immune to all our powers.’ He smiles and then turns to the blonde girl with a smile ‘Shall we Jane?’  
  
The smile that was on Jane’s lips meant nothing but danger and you knew it. But before you had the chance to even register what was happening, Edward was faster.  
  
‘NO!’ he screamed and lunged at Jane, who only smiled more and whispered one word.  
  
‘Pain.’  
  
The word left her angelic lips as a lullaby sang by the angels themselves, but there was nothing as angelical when you averted your eyes over to Edward, your mind and body completely frozen by the adrenaline that was coursing hard through your veins, letting you know that hell was about to break loose. And you were right. Before anyone could react, before anyone could jump between them, before your own body could finally tense up at the threat and react to help your friend, Edward was on the ground. No one had touched him, no one had done anything else but look at him, yet he was on the stone floor screaming in obvious unbearable pain. Jane was smiling only at him now, and it was obvious that whatever she was doing had a massive effect on the man, who was tossing and turning, hugging his sides as if he was afraid that they would be detached from his own body.  
  
‘Stop! Don’t! Please! Stop!’ Bella shrieked, her voice echoing in the silence of your own mind, jumping forward to put herself between them, but Alice threw her arms around her in an unbreakable grasp and ignored her struggles.  
  
Though, no one had thought to restrain you.  
  
In what seemed like a slow motion movement, inside the complete coldness and numbness that your brain provided you with, you suddenly see your arms fling in front of you and your body to race towards Edward. It was as if you were seeing yourself through a dark tunnel that had completely devoured your eyes, making you see everything as if you were a simple bystander inside your own body. Your knees come in hard contact with the ground, as you kneel beside him and grab him by the edges of his red robe, desperately trying to find a way to help him out. The poor soul was continuing to scream, but upon seeing that you were beside him, tried to restrain his movements so that he would hurt you by accident. In that single moment, the only thought that passed through your mind was that Edward was too kind for his own good. The man that had helped you survive James and even brought in the best doctors to make sure you were going to survive was now lying right in front of you, in the worst pain that was humanely possible. And you couldn’t do anything about it.  
  
‘NO! STOP IT! PLEASE! PLEASE!’ Bella continued to scream, making you raise your head towards Aro, who was looking at the scene unfolding right in front of him with a small smile on his lips.  
  
‘Stop it Aro! You proved your point! Please stop her!’ this time, it was your own voice that begged the leader to end your friend’s torture. Yet, he only continued to smile.  
  
You turn to Edward, who only continues to scream and toss around, tears bubbling on the edges of your eyes in his sight. You never cried; not the worst situations brought tears to your eyes, but even now, the small drops of water refused to stream down your face, no matter how much you wanted them to. Jane was continuing with her torture and even if you turned and begged her to stop as well, nothing had come out of it.  
  
‘______ DO SOMETHING PLEASE! MAKE THEM STOP!’ Bella now turned to you, hot tears streaming down her face.  
  
What was she telling you? What could you possibly be able to do to stop your friend’s torture and save him from this hell? Turning to Edward, you see that his black eyes are for the first time since you met him, unfocused and hazy. He was losing it in there, since the continuous pain was doing nothing good to him, but what the hell were you supposed to do? How was your frozen brain capable of ending all this?  
  
‘STOP IT ______! SAVE HIM! SAVE HIM FOR THE LOVE OF GOD! DO IT!’ Bella screamed, fighting Alice who had begin to have troubles keeping her there.  
  
‘WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO? WHAT CAN I DO?!’ you scream in response ‘STOP IT THE F*CK NOW JANE!’ you demand from the small girl, who doesn’t even register your existence.  
  
‘SAVE HIM NOW ______!’  
  
Then your brain clicks.  
  
Inside this hellish situation, where your best friend is screaming and crying and her lover is suffering the worst kind of torture in his whole existence, your brain takes that one turn, which offers you the solution that was hanging right before your eyes, right from the start. Suddenly, there is no distress inside of you, there is no fear; there is only the way to save Edward. When your eyes blink in the next millisecond, confusion and fear are replaced by a strong wave of determination and braveness, as your hands release Edward and your brain commands your body to rise slowly, keeping your eyes locked on the small, blonde girl that was still smiling her sadistic smile. You would wipe that smile off from her face, you would make her suffer in the same way she made Edward. And you would stop at nothing to do that, as you stand on your own two feet proudly, taking a threatening step towards Jane. All sounds around you are drowned by the sound of your heartbeat that beats inside your ears, so you barely hear Alice screaming at you as you take another step towards Jane.  
  
‘_______ NO!’ the petite elfish girl screams. But you have your eyes locked on Jane.  
  
‘I said’ your voice comes out cold and determined, as your right hand moves to your lower left side ‘LEAVE HIM ALONE!!!’  
  
Your hand flashes forward in a fluid motion.  
  
Time freezes.  
  
The reaction is immediate.  
  
A strong razor wind slash is immediately ejected from the edges of your fingertips, obeying to your every command as it rushes against the vampire girl that has come straight from hell. The wild blade is so strong, that not only makes a perfect vertical arc, but in the places where it touches the floor gently but lethally, it breaks the majestic marble, ejecting pieces of stone into every possible direction. It was as if, your own powers were fuelled by your sheer anger against the girl, magnifying to all the edges of your capabilities. The almost opaque blade is fast to reach its target.  
  
Jane has no time to react. Before her eyes even widen with the surprise, the blade hits her straight in the chest. Her petite body is immediately injured, with her clothes being torn and a big wound appear on her chest, before her feet detach from the floor and she hits the wall behind her, with the slash breaking it in a line as well.  
  
As you watch her small body hit the floor underneath, realization hits you like a brick wall.  
  
You have taken the road with no return.


	7. Chapter 7 Last Goodbye

It was as if the whole room stood still for just a small fragment of the second. Both vampires and the two humans inside the room stood perfectly still, their brains –supernatural or not- were in desperate need for some seconds to take in what the hell had just happened. Jane was dumbstruck, trying to pick herself up from the floor, dusting her black cloak off the white marble powder that had filled them, not even standing close to start believing that she was attacked, while you just stood there watching her move. From the outside, your bright, yet confused (e/c) orbs were following the little girl with curiosity, as you just stood there, perfectly still. But only Edward knew the war that had started inside your head, raging against all surfaces and trying to file all that happened into the correct order.  
  
You had just struck Jane; you had just struck down the little vampire that managed to stop the maybe older and way more powerful Edward, without moving a single muscle and barely even whispering some words. Nothing. Nothing was going to stop her from shredding you to pieces right here, right now once she gets a hold of herself once more. And not only that, but you had just revealed to the whole Volturi coven what kind of powers you possessed. You just simply acted on impact and revealed to those bloodthirsty and power-thirsty creatures that you possessed some powers of your own. Even if Alice was unable to tell you what your future held from now on, you were pretty sure of what was about to happen; and it was in no way good or peaceful. Maybe you should just run away; run and escape from any of the higher windows. That would lure many of them to follow you and maybe give Bella and Edward a chance to run as well. Maybe you should just submit and accept your fate; no! You were not going to bow down to anyone, much less to the likes of them! You turned your gaze towards the three elite vampires, and you could clearly see the triumph in Aro’s bloodshot eyes as he gazed upon you, his new discovery and possibly new toy.  
  
For a split second, everything happened in slow motion.  
  
You felt the air behind you change, as the electricity it contained changed and became heavier as whoever it was, he was moving up against you, making the hair on the back of your neck stand up; they were already coming for you. The game had already ended. Before you could stop yourself, a pained smile appeared on your face, shining brightly at the realization of your doomed fate, of your inevitable end. Yet, for that split second, Embry’s smiling face passed through your mind. Yep, your best friend was still there, smiling brightly at you and patiently waiting for the time you would return back to him and you would get the chance to go to the date you had set. You would watch that movie. You would grab something to eat afterwards. You would have fulfilled your promise to him to come back…Only that you couldn’t keep it anymore. You had just destroyed everything.  
  
You had just sealed your fate.  
  
Everything was lost.  
  
It didn’t matter that your brain had given up on life right at that moment, as you were standing completely still in the middle of the room; your body wanted to fight for salvation no matter what. In slow motion, you felt the presence getting closer to you and that same moment, your body ejected itself forward out of pure instinct. Yes, it would be highly unlikely to escape from a raging vampire, but if you acted smartly, you could at least buy some time for Bella and the others to escape. So, pulling along all of your skills, you step on the air that existed right in front of you and using it as a steady footing, your jump backwards, making a perfect arc above the man that was attacking you; Felix.  
  
Your heartbeat was one continuous hum as you ejected your hand towards his back the same time that you were landing, catapulting a sharp razor air current towards him, that despite the fact that he tried to avoid, you simply tightened your grip and the air exploded right in front of him, ejecting him many meters back, to crash on a marble bench. But the trouble did not end there. As you turned your face towards Edward so that you could scream to him to get Bella and run away, a cold, steely grip tightened immediately around your neck and your feet lost the ground they were standing on. Startled, your hands shoot immediately towards your neck and your eyes search to see who attacked you, only to see Demetri giving you a small, arrogant smirk. He was holding you up in the air tightly, like as if he was just holding a feather and tightening his grip a little more, you can feel all the air escape from your lungs and you begin to choke. So what do you do? What would a sane person do? He or she would give up right? Well, since you were no normal person, you raise your foot and land it straight into that hot-!ss vampire’s face, the same time that you slash his wrist, the very same trick you did with Victoria.  
  
An exclamation of surprise leaves his lips and his grip loosens, allowing you to land into the floor perfectly, the same time that you inhale deeply, filling your lungs with the precious gift of oxygen. Demetri takes a step forward in order to get you once again, his beautiful face still without showing any emotion, but with a push of your palm, you release an air current that catapults him many meters back. Before you managed to celebrate your victory, you hear an angry growl, which sounds so loudly, that you could swear that the floor vibrated right under your feet and you eyes immediately opened wide and turning, you see Felix making his way towards you, hand suspended right in front of him and teeth bared. The trick with vampires –as you learnt from personal experience with James- is to never stand still, even for a very split second. So, letting out a deep sigh, you charge straight towards the male and before his hands grab you by the shoulders, you purposely fall on the ground, managing to slide right under the giant’s feet and pass to the other side. The moment you know that his back is turned to you, you immediately stand up and stepping on the air once again, you try to kick Felix on the side of his head. A wild cry of triumph leaves your lips, as you see your foot inches away from the giant’s head and empowered by an almost invisible layer of air, that would prevent it from breaking into pieces.  
  
Then, the not-so-unexpected happened.  
  
Underestimating the giant’s vampire speed, you only see a flash and feel a hand grab you hard by the foot and the giant’s victorious smile, before everything around you blurs. Immediately you felt your heart sink inside your chest and your lungs to hold their breath in, since you knew that there was no way out of there and this was probably going to hurt. A lot. And it f*cking did. Because as you felt your limp body connect with the wall hard, you felt the crack on your skull re-open once again, immediately staining the back of your neck and the wall, along with your back that cracked hard under the hard collision. The air was knocked out of you and the pain did not allow you in any way to protect yourself with your hands, as you landed face-first on the cold, hard floor.  
  
If you were able to scream, your bloodcurdling shriek of pain would have filled the walls of the beautiful room, yet, even if you inhaled sharply, your vocal cords were drowned by the blood that came rushing out of your mouth as you coughed hard, trying desperately to cope with the pain that had consumed your whole body. Everything was hurting you. Everything was screaming out of sheer pain that was resonating throughout your whole body, even reaching deep down into your soul. Your eyesight was blurred and you could barely move at all.  
  
It was right then, that you felt someone grab you hard by the arm and raise you up to your feet. You involuntarily turned towards the stranger, only to see Demetri in an utter blur to hold you hard, while his now dark eyes were focused to his masters.  
  
‘It appears that we have quite the surprise right in front of our eyes my friends.’ Aro’s excited voice exclaimed happily and the dangerously jolly man seemed to be ready to jump up and down from his sheer happiness as his red eyes nailed themselves on you so hard, that you could practically feel your skin melting away ‘It truly is a rare gift from beyond the grave.’ He said and took a step towards you.  
  
‘Don’t get close to her!’ you hear Alice’s voice echo from behind him, but you are too weak to turn your head towards her.  
  
‘She is dangerous and must be immediately eliminated Aro.’ the blonde vampire practically barked to the black haired man, but the later raised his hand and complete silence was once again restored. Even if you couldn’t see so clearly yet, you could see the sullen expression that the blonde one acquired.  
  
Aro really did not have eyes for anyone else inside the room, other than you. By the almost obsessed way he was looking at you, you could swear that he had completely forgotten both the other vampires of his family, as well as Bella and Edward. Still, pulling all your strength and courage, you gaze straight into his bloody red eyes with the same determination that always seemed to burn inside your soul. If you were going to die, you would die standing up. Demetri can really easily break your neck at this point, but at least you wouldn’t have cowered before them. Yet, as Aro takes another step towards you, malevolence was nowhere to be found inside his eyes; on the contrary, he seemed fascinated as he was observing you, with the same excitement that someone has when he looks upon a two thousand year old mummy at a museum. He remained completely silent and after some time you discovered with happiness that your vision had started to clear and the pain was somewhat diminished, something that would allow you some kind of actions to protect yourself if need be. But at this point, you knew not what was about to happen.  
  
‘What is your name sweetheart?’ are the only words that come out of Aro’s excited lips.  
  
You swallow hard ‘I-I’m ___-_____.’  
  
‘______’ he savors your name as if it was something of divine ancestry ‘Brothers!’ he exclaims and turns towards the other two, raising his hands in the air ‘We have the great honor to come upon a Distorter!’  
  
What he meant, you knew not. Yet, in the sound of his voice whispers arose from pretty much everywhere around the vast room; the blonde d**che’s mouth fell open in complete shock, while even the guards all around you were in quite the distress, looking at you and mumbling to themselves all at the same time. The boy that had greeted you and Jane were straight up gazing at you with curiosity coming from the boy and pure anger coming from Jane. She hadn’t dropped the fact that you attacked her and you knew that. Demetri and Felix still had their pokerfaces on, betraying nothing of their true thoughts, yet Edward and Alice were clearly exchanging serious gazes, something that meant only bad things from what you had learnt when you hanged around the Cullens. What did they know that you didn’t? If they knew, why didn’t they tell you? It was safe to say though that your mind was a complete mess right then and when your eyes fell on Bella’s, you could clearly see your confusion mirroring on her chocolate brown, sweet eyes. Both of you were abruptly pulled from your thoughts when the silent one of the Volturi, the one that seemed a bit sad all the time, spoke up.  
  
‘It is impossible Aro. Distorters do not exist anymore.’ He simply murmured, gazing upon you.  
  
‘I am aware of that brother, but look at her extraordinary powers. Maybe some of them still do exist.’ Aro responded.  
  
‘U-um…what?’ you blurt out before you even manage to control yourself.'  
  
Aro’s attention flashes back to you and the raven haired man smiles widely at you, bringing his hands to meet just under his nose and he sighs merrily.  
  
‘It appears my lovely _____, that you are a Distorter. To my kind, Distorters were the ones that once were called witches by the human race, since they could control the elements of nature. Unfortunately, the ones before us, the Romanians, hunted your kind down and eliminated them. It appears though, that some of you managed to survive.’ He looks at you thrilled ‘What a lovely day indeed. Wonderful, wonderful surprise!’  
  
The whispers around you have died down a bit, replaced by the cheerful laugher that Aro lets out, sounding so relieved and delightful, as if he had just came across a jewel of high value that was thought to be gone forever. Something that was laying in his tone though, made you swallow hard and gaze over at Alice, who looked so broken right at that moment, that you were sure that if she was still a human, she would be crying; this was what you needed to realize that you were in some deep sh!t.  
  
‘Leave her alone Aro, she is merely a human.’ Edward throws at the raven haired man, who still acted like he hadn’t heard him at all.  
  
‘How about I make an offer to you my sweet _____?’ he says and raises his hand towards you ‘How about I offer you a place here, in the Volturi palace?’  
  
In his words, you can clearly hear two gasps and you barely even needed to turn your head and see the blonde vampire and Jane looking at Aro like their gazes could pierce holes into the man’s immortal body. They were clearly against the idea, since the blonde man was about to speak, but the sad man that sat on the other throne nodded him slightly, making him drop his attempts. Yet, as realization dawned to you, Aro’s words resonated inside the vast spaces of your mind, echoing again and again. He had offered you to stay with them; it wasn’t too hard to realize that it was not a mere offer, yet as your mind went through the information completely, the answer was one.  
  
‘I’ll die before I join you lot; I don’t side with anyone, much less vampires.’ You bit out harshly, gazing upon Aro’s eyes with determination. Demetri chuckled lightly beside you, but you spare him no attention at all.  
  
But Aro only smiled even wider ‘Let me rephrase my question lovely ______.’ His white teeth flashed in the light ‘I’m offering you a spot by our side; there is no greater honor for our kind, much more when it is offered to a mere human… which was never. If you do not comply, I will take care of your little friends that have already broken the law and keep you here by force. Then, I will make sure that no one that knows you, exists on this planet anymore. So what do you say now?’  
  
No matter how much prepared you were to face the real deal of the threat, nothing and I mean nothing had prepared you for the hard slap that those icy cold words, which were spoken with a bright smile on, gave you. They made your eyes open wide with surprise and your heart to sink inside your chest, as the reality that you were facing was nothing that you could get away from this time; no, the more you were thinking about it, the more you realized that fate had actually played a very mischievous trick to you, solely because you wanted to help your friend…  
  
… Friends……  
  
Suddenly, the faces of your dad and Embry flashed right before your very own eyes, both of them smiling brightly at you, with their hearts filling with sheer love and kindness for you, ready to welcome you back to their warm embrace. The image was shortly followed by the faces of Jake, Sam, Emily, Jared and even Paul. Your Quileute family, that was waiting for you back to your home, some of them waiting to tease you around and some of them to have fun by hanging around… Yet, you would never return back. You would never go back to the luxurious and mysteriously dark forest of Forks; you would never go back to the coziness of your own house that always seemed to help ease your constant nerves. Dad wouldn’t cook for you anymore, Embry wouldn’t hang out with you, Jacob wouldn’t tease you and more importantly… you would never go back to your own family. The promise to Embry was broken; the last thing that your friend would remember you for would be your broken promise. God how much you wanted to see him one last time, to give him a big bear hug and for the first time release the tears that were now bubbling on the edges of your eyes…  
  
Tears… when was it the last time that you wanted to cry? Hmmm, you couldn’t really remember; you were always the angry one, the one to act before any reasonable thinking was given, but you were not the one to cry. Yet, even if those little drops of water wanted to run down your cheeks, you would not let them; no, more importantly, you wouldn’t give the whole room of vampires the satisfaction that they had managed to make you cry. No matter how much your chest was shaking lightly by the violent sobs that threatened to crack your impenetrable mask of indifference –which you tried with all your might to drown down-, nor the tears that you blinked away, biting your lip hard in order to not let them cascade. No, you were strong; you were independent, strong and above all of these things, so you were going to face them head on, with rage pumping hard through your veins. You would bow down to no one, even if you had to subdue to them.  
  
Aro was watching you closely, paying attention and seeing all kinds of emotion pass through your bright (e/c) eyes, completely seeing the war that was waging on inside your mind and he knew that you simply wanted one last push. You were a clever girl; he would give you that at least. An interesting toy indeed.  
  
‘Felix.’ He gently smiles, not taking his eyes off from your determined own.  
  
The sound of his voice snaps you back at reality, only to see the vampire-Hercules smile a sadistic grin and turn his attention to your friends; Edward immediately tensed and hid Bella behind his back, ready to face the raging vampire head on, but you knew that he wouldn’t stand a chance. He knew it too, as he turned his head slightly towards you and gave you a pained smile; he had obviously listened to your thoughts. Felix takes another step towards your friends and your heart skips a bit as the silence is broken by a bloodcurdling scream and you see Alice kneel to the floor, without anyone having touched her. Yet she screamed with all the power her little body possessed and right across from her, Jane was grinning sadistically. Then, Felix growled hard once again, a growl that reverberated like a gunshot inside your ears as he raised his hand and prepared to strike. Edward bared his teeth, Bella inhaled a sharp breath, Alice kept screaming and…  
  
‘STOP! JUST STOP!’ comes your pained voice, as your knees finally subside and you kneel to the floor ‘I will join you. I will stay here…just…just don’t hurt them…’  
  
‘I am happy to hear your decision, my sweet ______. We’ll be happy to have you.’ Aro makes a small bow to you.  
  
That was it; you were never going back again.  
  


~ * ~

  
  
  
‘Bella, can you please stop crying? It’s getting on my nerves.’ You half-jokingly, half-seriously scold your best friend.  
  
You were currently sitting on a cozy living room, which had more of the ominous aura than you would like, since there was not even a single window to shed some natural light inside. The room was somehow divided into two parts, since one part of it was decorated with two huge velvet red couches that were placed across from each other, with a dark wooden coffee table being the only thing that divided them. Right next to them was a huge marble fireplace where a nice and cozy fire was burning happily, spreading its heat to the vast room, making it smell like apples, since it was the wood that was burning in it. The floor was covered by a luxurious, thick red carpet and the ceiling by a breathtaking crystal chandelier, while right next to the living room, was a grand black piano and next to it, was the entrance door. Felix and Demetri were standing on both sides of the door, making no moves at all and making sure that you were not going to run out of this place and into freedom; not that this was possible inside a palace filled with malicious vampires. Yet here they were.  
  
Bella and Edward were sitting on the couch across from you, with your best friend having leaned completely on Edward and crying her eyes out silently, inside a small handkerchief that Alice had given her, with her vampire boyfriend trying to console her by rubbing her back tenderly; to no avail whatsoever though. On the other hand, you were trying not to get annoyed by the girl crying, something that proved harder than it seemed, as you were desperately trying to finish your letters to both your father and Embry, with Alice looking above your shoulder towards the papers. After you had announced that you would join the Volturi, the rest of the meeting rolled without much of trouble, with a very happy Aro complementing Alice and Edward on their findings. Yet, before your friends were inclined to leave, they had to wait for the sun to go down, which luckily gave you a few hours time before your paths parted. From the moment you were alone though, Bella just couldn’t stop crying and blaming herself for everything that happened.  
  
‘It’s…my…f-fault….I-I shouldn’t have…made you h-help Edward.’ She mumbled for the millionth time this night.  
  
‘Well, I was going to help him either way, so the fault is on me. Nothing to blame yourself for.’ you repeat, as you conclude your last letter to your father.  
  
‘Both of your stupidities are beyond measurement; I told you to be careful.’ Alice scolded the both of you, leaning back and folding her hands over her chest.  
  
‘What is done is done. There is no reason to dwell in the past; you have more urgent matters to attend to. Like giving this letters to my father and to Embry. Edward, can you please give them to them?’ you push them towards the man _Make sure for Carlyle to be with you, in case my father doesn’t take the news lightly _‘And to get out of here if I may add.’  
  
‘I’ll make sure that they reach their hands. You do not have to worry about a thing.’ He simply states, with his voice filled with hidden meanings as answers to your thoughts. You let out an almost inaudible sigh, being completely sure that the letters would reach their destinations safe.  
  
‘And what will y-you do now ____?’ Bella asks, looking at you with bloodshot eyes, a little thing that all the crying gave her.  
  
What would you do? You really had no idea as to where you would be useful for the Volturi ‘Maybe they’ll keep me around as a trophy; I’ll just try to stay alive as much as I can I guess or until they figure out what pain in the $ss I am and kill me.’ you joke, laughing a little bit. But their serious faces don’t change ‘Oh, come on guys, it’s not that bad.’  
  
‘No, you are right.’ Alice looks at you sternly ‘It’s even worse than that.’  
  
‘Geez, I’ll try to stay alive okay?’ you sigh.  
  
‘Time is up _____. Aro will be waiting for you.’ a voice suddenly speaks up and gazing towards the direction where it came from, you see Demetri slowly nodding towards the door. So this was it huh?   
  
‘I’ll be right there.’ you say, standing up, but right as you were about to make a move, a sea of brown curly hair blinds you and a pair of hands tighten around you with all the power they had inside of them.  
  
‘I’ll find a way to get you out of here, I promise.’ Bella whispers in your ear ‘I’ll take care of Embry and your dad as well. I promise you.’ her voice was cracking at the edges of every sentence and new tears were now staining your already blood-stained clothes. Yet, you smiled brightly and hugged the little fragile girl back with everything you had. She was your best friend after all; and whatever happened, she always had a special place in your heart.  
  
‘Edward, take care of her for me okay? She has more bad luck running behind her as we speak.’ You turn and give a smile to the tall boy, who only nods and gives you a small smirk. You knew that he would take care of her; if someone loved her more than anything in this world, this would definitely be him.  
  
Bella lets you go after another small hug and the next one in line is Alice. The petite vampire smiles painfully to you and you didn’t need to see the sadness in her expression to know what the future must have in store for you. So as her petite hands wrap around you, you can’t help but hug her with everything you had.  
  
‘Be strong little one; they will try their absolute best to break you. I will keep and eye out for you, just to make sure to help when time will call for it. I won’t let anything happen to you, so you can count on me. But tough times are in store for you _____. I’m so sorry.’ She whispers as lightly as she can, just to make sure that no one but you would hear her.  
  
‘It’s okay Alice, you don’t have to worry. I made my decision and I’m willing to suffer the consequences as long as you guys are safe. Don’t be sad. I would do that again and again.’ You confess, smiling.  
  
‘I know.’ She gives you a pained smile as you release her from your arms.  
  
With another small smile directed to the three of them, you wave them goodbye and start walking towards the two Volturi guards, Demetri and Felix. You can clearly feel a small part of you being left behind with your friends, as well as the growing hatred that you now possess about the vampires that did this to you. Yes, tough times might be in store for you, but you won’t go down without a fight. You know it and from the amused expressions on Felix’s and Demetri’s face, they know it as well. But before you finally surrender to them, you turn once again towards your friends.  
  
‘Take care of my family.’ You say and turn the doorknob, leaving your past life behind.


	8. Chapter 8 Confined Princess

Once you set your foot outside the small room and the door closed securely behind you, you indeed felt like a huge part of you had been left behind; now, you were left completely empty and void, deprived by all feelings of security and companionship. Now, the only thing you had left inside of you was an utter bitterness and coldness, mainly for the vampires that dared to rip away your family. Even if you had agreed to join them, you wanted nothing to do with them and you were positive that this particular thought was written all over you face, once you turned and your gaze fell on Demetri and Felix, who had followed you out of the room, making sure that wherever you would go, they would be with you to stop any escape attempts obviously. Not that you had a real chance in escaping.  
  
‘So what now?’ you demand to know with sass, folding your hands over your chest.  
  
‘You do continue to be a feisty one. Are you sure you are a human squirt?’ Felix laughed, the sound sounding like a clear, deafening bell.  
  
‘Don’t call me that vamp-Hercules.’ you bark, making him laugh even more.  
  
‘Now, we will escort you to Gianna, who will take care of whatever you need. Later tonight, you will be dining with Aro.’ Demetri informed you ‘You will have to wear something appropriate.’ He comments, his dark red eyes scanning you up and down, resting a little bit on the bloodied spots that thanks to your powers, didn’t give off any aroma. If they did, you would already be dead, you were sure about it.  
  
‘Why, what do my clothes have now? I thought you guys were fans of blood.’ You roll your eyes, mocking him.  
  
Yet, instead of him being offended, he flashed you a small smile ‘If you hadn’t thrown an attacking fit, you wouldn’t be in need for new clothes.’  
  
‘Oh’ you say mockingly, resting your hand on your chin ‘You say about the time I kicked your face?’  
  
‘I’m talking about when Felix threw you on the wall.’ He calmly replied, wiping away the smile from your own lips.  
  
‘Well, let’s not keep Aro waiting then.’ You say and Demetri beckons with his hand for you to start walking first, the content smile that made its way on his face never leaving him, as the two vampires followed one step behind you.  
  
Once again, you were on the very same hallway as the reception. The front desk was now empty though and Gianna was nowhere to be seen, probably making preparations for your treatment and clothing and all the rest of the vampires where probably cleaning up the Volturi room. As you walked on the thick carpet that covered the floor, with your feet submerging a little bit inside it, you had the chance to really see the place for the first time, mainly because you weren’t led to the vampires’ lair; on the contrary, you were already living in it. Gazing up to the majestic crystal chandeliers that illuminated the whole place up, you can’t help but feel your lungs inhale a sharp breath, as you realize the beauty of this place, which was according to the medieval gothic architecture. Plain amazing and luxuriously decorated, since it was sure that most of the items in here would cost much more than your whole house did.  
  
Yet, what unnerved you a little bit, was the complete lack of any windows, something that was giving you a feeling of suffocation, like the walls were closing up on you, ready to crash whoever was walking among them. So when you finally reached an elevator, you exhaled happily, the moment you saw that Felix pressed a button that lead up. The doors closed and the usual, obnoxious opera music filled your ears once again. Keeping your gaze straight forward, you were able to see Demetri looking at you once again with a small smile on his lips, while Felix that was standing on your left was twiddling his thumbs and whistling along to the rhythm of the song. He seemed a whole lot less dangerous when he was relaxed, but Demetri continued to get on your nerves. Why didn’t he just stop staring?  
  
‘So ______’ Felix exclaimed after a little bit, his voice clearly amused ‘Why don’t you have any smell?’  
  
You chuckled un-amused ‘Geez Felix, you can’t go around asking people why they don’t smell. Didn’t Demetri teach you that? Bad Demetri.’ You had seen the opportunity to mock them both and you took it ‘Anyway, it’s because I’m using my power to conceal it. Comes in handy when you have a vampire attacking you and you bleed like a f*cking fountain.’  
  
‘A vampire you say?’ Demetri asks, his face betraying no emotion, but his eyes turning towards you clearly interested.  
  
‘Yep. I had my fair share with your kind in the past as well. Not something I like to remember.’ You simply shrug, right as a small bell rang and the doors opened, revealing a long corridor.  
  
The haunting white moonlight was entering through the huge windows that adorned the walls, with the silver moon reflecting her eerie light on the bare, white walls of the corridor, which was only illuminated by floor-candelabrums. Total silence has spread well within the empty, completely strange corridors that were bereft of any evidence of a living soul, empty and menacing, ready to drain every fiber of logical thinking from the mind of any living organism. Thank God that they were inhabited by undead creatures then! It was truly like you had just stepped inside Count Dracula’s castle, yet you had to admit that the presence of windows made all things a little bit easier, as you could see the light that came from the city that surrounded the Clock Tower, traces of human life that still existed close to you.  
  
Demetri nodded for you to continue and you started walking down the corridor, passing crossroads and many more corridors, leading yourself further and further inside the lair, with the two vampires hot in your tracks, watching your every move. Even if you didn’t want to, a shiver shot down your spine and your heart accelerated her beat, something that you knew it could be heard by the vampires, who eventually didn’t comment at all. Demetri’s watchful eyes were still on your back and Felix once again whistled, until the three of you reached another wooden door.  
  
As if on cue, it immediately opened, only to reveal a smiling Gianna behind.  
  
‘So this is the girl?’ she commented with her heavy accent, flashing you a large smile and opening the door all the way.  
  
‘Yep, this is ______. ______ this is-‘  
  
‘I know her name.’ you cut off Felix ‘Nice to meet you Gianna.’ You graced the beautiful woman with your first genuine smile tonight.  
  
‘Nice to meet you too darling!’ her green eyes glowed in sheer happiness.  
  
‘Aro is waiting for her for dinner, so I suggest you get started Gianna.’ Demetri commented and Gianna’s smile fell into a frown.  
  
‘Yes, yes, I know mi amore. I’ll make sure she’ll be on time. Sbrigare darling, sbrigare.’ She said, grabbing you by the wrist and pulling you inside the room, closing the door behind her.  
  
The place where you were currently standing was a brightly lit foyer, with the light bathing it intensely, making your eyes flounder to adjust, since you walked in straight from the darkness. Nevertheless, you barely even had the time to do just that, since Gianna grabbed your hand tightly in her own and pulled you further along, pushing you inside what appeared to be the most luxurious [bathroom](http://d31eqxppr3nlos.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/146-ACMDesignArchitects-RusticResort-Bathroom1-870x595.jpg) you had ever seen in your entire life; correction, you could have seen something like that on magazines or advertisements for really expensive hotels. All the walls around you were adorned with light sand-colored wood, reaching until the ceiling which was painted on the very same color as well. Everything around you, the bathtub that was placed right in the middle of the room, the grand washbasin, the shower that was on the left and the vanity table on your right, was made out of the same, sand-colored marble, giving the place an air of elegance and luxury. Even the comfortable armchair of the vanity looked old-fashioned yet expensive and the totally white towels that surrounded the place seemed fluffy and warm. The bathtub right in front of you already had the faucet on and was currently filling up with hot water and lively bubbles of soap, filling the small room with the rich aroma of vanilla and orange.  
  
Gianna failed to detect that you had went completely frozen on your tracks as soon as you saw the room, so she walked pass you to walk around the room, adding the last minute details like it was a second nature for her, never failing to smile brightly and mumble the verses of some random but amazing Italian song that you had never heard in your entire life. Then, she came beside you and gently took your hand once again, leading the surprised you to sit on the comfortable armchair.  
  
‘It’s okay to be scared mia cara. I know it’s a lot to take in with one go.’ She smiled, caressing your cheek in a motherly tone.  
  
The only thing you could do was blink dumbfounded and open your mouth like a fish out of water ‘What are we doing here?’ you questioned sheepishly.  
  
She pulled the footrest of the armchair and sat down, sighing loudly and looking at you with her bright blue eyes filled with sorrow ‘I have heard what happened in there mia cara, and I am so sorry to hear that you’ll be here with us. This is no place for a youngling such as yourself. But you have to be strong la mia amica del cuore.’ She took your hands in her own two ‘I am here to prepare you for dining with master Aro and inform you about the rules since you’ll be staying here. I will tend to your wounds, clean and dress you up appropriately, so that you are in your best shape to meet with master Aro’s expectations. Still, I want you to know that I’m your ally in here and I’ll do whatever it takes to make you feel at home, no matter how hard that might be. Deal?’  
  
You were under the impression that you wanted to cry, but your eyes were paining you and forbidding the tears from rolling down your cheeks as you spoke ‘Deal. And thank you Gianna. I really appreciate it.’  
  
‘You don’t have to thank me at all!’ she smiled ‘Now, let’s start.’  
  
She pulled you up and before you really had the chance to react, she grabs the edge of your bloodied shirt and pulls it off from you. The moment you realize that you are standing shirtless in front of the woman, your hands fly to cover your exposed bra and skin, while a bright shade of red flashes over your cheeks.  
  
‘GIANNA, WHAT THE HELL?!’ you exclaim, your brain ringing from all the uncomfortable feelings that washed over you all at once.  
  
‘What?’ she looked at you with a puzzled gaze ‘I have to help you take a bath.’  
  
‘Well I can take a bath by myself, thank you very much.’ You proclaim.  
  
‘I’m sorry _____, but I have to do this. Do you want me to ask Demetri and Felix for help in undressing you?’  
  
‘NO!!!’ now your face had turned into a true lighthouse, even emitting its own light. In the shades of red of course.  
  
She smiled once again ‘I thought so mia cara. I’ll tell you what; you will get undressed and enter the bathtub and I’ll get the medical kit to treat those injuries of yours. What do you say?’  
  
‘D-Deal.’ Well, out of all the situations, you would have never even guessed that you would find yourself in this particular one.  
  
Gianna offered you a heart-warming smile once again and walked over to a previously unseen closet in the back, opening it and rummaging through, the very same moment that you stripped off the rest of your clothes and entered the warm bathtub, exhaling deeply and feeling your muscles relax the very same moment that they came in contact with the water. The plentiful bubbles covered you a little bit, making you feel more comfortable and protected from any eyes, exactly the same time that Gianna chose to return by your side and took your left hand, gently cutting through the bandages that Embry had wrapped around the bite mark. Now that you had the chance to ease your mind and think clearly, it seemed like eons passed from the time Paul bit you that fateful morning. In the vivid thought of Embry’s face smiling at you with nothing more that kindness and innocence plastered on his face, you felt your heart tighten.  
  
‘Mio Dio! How did you get that wound?’ Gianna exclaimed when the whole mark was exposed, after she pulled the last of the bandages.  
  
You turned and gazed at the wound that had faintly started to close a bit around the edges; it still had a long way to go though ‘I had an unpleasant surprise while walking in the forest one day.’ you lied.  
  
‘It looks nasty.’ She winced a bit ‘But you are lucky that it doesn’t need stitches.’  
  
‘I guess I am.’ You murmur ‘So, can we get on with the rules please? I’m really anxious to see how mad I will get with all these blood-suckers.’  
  
‘Thank God they are not here to hear you, you’d be already dead.’ She commented ‘But you are right, let’s get this over with, because we don’t have much time. You have to remember though, that for as long as you are in here, you must obey these rules completely and without hesitation! One wrong move and you can end up dead on the spot.’  
  
‘Don’t worry Gianna; death is the least of my problems right now.’ you shrugged as she released your hand –which you retreated under the water, no matter how much it hurt- and went to grab the shampoo, pouring a fair amount straight in your hair, before starting to wash them ‘Go on.’  
  
‘Let’s see. The Vampire Rules do not apply for you, for obvious reasons, so I will recite you the laws that you must follow, like the ones I follow. Rule number one: Members of the Volturi will face severe punishment for insubordination. This may include death, depending on the severity of the situation.’  
  
‘Okay… I can’t say that I can keep that.’ you mumbled.  
  
‘Rule number two: Harming or attempting to harm a member of the Volturi Guard, whether accidental or intentional, will result in immediate death. If you stay away from Jane and Caius, you will be fine I believe, mia cara. Avoid these two at all costs.  
  
»Rule number three: If a human becomes aware of the existence of vampires, they must either be turned themselves or be killed. The only exception to this rule is you and me.  
  
»Rule number four: False witness, regardless of intent, is punishable by death. Just do not do it.  
  
»Rule number five: Attention should not be drawn at any cost, neither to you nor your potential comrades. Failure to obey this rule will be punished by death.  
  
»Rule number six: Rebellion or treason against the Volturi is prohibited as a matter of course; it is nearly impossible to succeed and will lead to the death of anyone involved.  
  
»Rule number seven: Wandering around Volterra without an escort from the Volturi Guard is extremely prohibited. Failure to comply will lead to severe punishment, even death.  
  
»Rule number eight: When addressing the three rulers you will speak when you are spoken to and show respect, no matter the consequences. Failure to comply will lead to severe punishment.  
  
»Rule number nine: All interactions with the human world are prohibited.  
  
»Rule number ten: Keeping yourself under control and in the best of shapes is required in order for death to be avoided for as long as you serve. Food, water, clothes and a private room will be provided for you in order to do so.’ She concluded, offering you a fresh towel as you made your way out of the bathtub and took it with gratitude.  
  
‘Sounds more like the Ten Commandments rather than rules to me.’ you say, wrapping the towel around you and sitting on the comfortable armchair, allowing Gianna to start fixing your hair.  
  
‘It’s not that bad actually. If you remember them then I can guarantee that you won’t have any problems and if master Aro is in a good mood one of those days, I can suggest taking you along with me around town.’ She smiled to you, braiding your hair all at the same time.  
  
‘Well, even if he agrees, I don’t think vamp-Everest and the-most-obnoxious-vampire-in-existence would let us be even for an hour.’ You shrug, looking at the woman through the mirror.  
  
She raises her eyebrow to you ‘You mean Demetri and Felix?’  
  
‘Who else?!’ you give her a forced smile.  
  
She laughs wholeheartedly and the sound reverberates inside the room like small, cheerful bells ‘I’m going to start calling them like that as well.’  
  
‘Go for it. If they try to mess with you, tell them I’m watching their every move and I’ll kill them if they do so much as to look at you the wrong way.’  
  
Gianna might have taken your words as a joke right at that moment and laughed, but you were being totally serious. You didn’t know her that much, but she was the only human in here and you were going to protect her no matter what, even for the sake of your own well-being. The woman handed you a little white dress that was matched with a pair of white ballerina shoes and matching lingerie and beckoning you to walk towards the other side of the room, she shoved you inside a changing room and left you to dress up, taking your sweet time in doing so.  
  
‘Demetri and Felix aren’t that bad you know, mia cara.’ Her voice came from outside the door ‘They are actually pretty fun to be around, even if Demetri appears serious and Felix threatening. In reality, Demetri is a huge Casanova even around town and Felix may appear as a mountain, but if you get to know him, you see his more playful side. Also, others are fun too; like Alec, Jane’s twin. Yes, I know that Jane is a cagna, but her brother is calm and more careful. He even cracks a joke every now and then! Can you imagine that?’ Gianna said and moved to the side as you walked out and turned so she could zip you up.  
  
‘I don’t think I can see them like that Gianna. For me, they are the reasons I can’t see my father anymore, or anyone else.’ You say coldly.  
  
‘I am so sorry for that ______.’ She gives you a pained smile ‘But you look absolutely assordante, stunning, with this dress. Master Aro will be pleased.’  
  
Both of you went back to the vanity table, where she finished with the last touches of your dress and focused completely in doing your make up perfectly. You allowed her to go on with whatever she had in mind, with your own being many miles away and back to your family, that would greet the new day that must be dawning with some really devastating news. Bella would still be crying, Jacob would fall into an anger fit, while last but not least, Embry and your father would be completely devastated. The bad thing was, that even if your father would understand your reasoning in choosing to stay, Embry would most likely do something reckless; you knew him, you knew him all too well to know that he would blame himself for what happened. For the first time in years, you wished with all your heart for time to seize and to be given the chance of embracing him and never letting go again; you indeed wished that you hadn’t helped Edward.  
  
Yet, what was done is done and there is no reason to dwell in the past; you must fight now and if luck favors you, you’ll be able to return to your friends and family once again. Yeah, it might be a wild dream, but who knew what future had in store for you, even if you were inside the vampire lair. You had to stay strong, or you would be driven mad.  
  
When Gianna finished with her task, you stood up proudly once again, looking at your reflection that was barely even recognizable now, without all the blood covering you, with determination and sheer will burning behind your eyes. It was time to meet Aro and bargain with him. Because you knew that he would want to place some rules, yet you had some of your own in mind. Taking a last look over your [attire](http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/set?id=177096841) you thank Gianna and walk towards the exit, opening it and passing on the cold corridor.  
  
The moment you found yourself outside, the two vampires that had become your shadow turned and gazed upon you, obviously having waited all this time to escort you to Aro; it was obviously his own orders which they followed surprisingly to the letter. Their blood red eyes fell upon you the very same time and Felix let out a piercing wolf-whistle, while Demetri smirked smugly; you only rolled your eyes in annoyance and returned their gazes with your determined own.  
  
‘Shall we go to Aro? Or you will dilly-dally a bit more?’ you said bitterly, the chilling cold of the dim lit corridor creeping through to you and gently touching your skin.  
  
‘Who would have thought humans can look _this _good.’ Felix commented, completely ignoring your words.  
  
‘You would be surprised my friend.’ Demetri smiled even more, making your mind go out for a single flash of the second, before he turned to look at you ‘We’ll go to master Aro right away so there is no need to worry. I believe that Gianna has already informed you about the rules though, is that right?’  
  
‘You mean the part where I can’t beat you up until you can’t feed anymore?’ you cross your hands over your chest.  
  
‘Exactly.’ He smiles ‘I also see that you have another wound that we did not give you. Would you mind sharing who gave it to you?’  
  
Following his penetrating stare, you see that he was indeed looking at your bandaged left hand, were Gianna had covered the bite once again with a pair of clean bandages. Without offering him an explanation –that would reveal the existence of the Quileute wolves- you retreat your hands and tangle your fingers behind your back, hiding the bite mark away from Demetri’s eyes.  
  
‘Why? You wanna send flowers?’ you try to avert his attention elsewhere and for a split second, it seems to work, since he moves his body weight from one foot to the other.  
  
‘For a human, you are pretty sharp-minded.’ He comments with a smirk, averting his eyes for the first time tonight from you.  
  
‘Wait till you see what else I can do.’ you reply harshly.  
  
‘Is that a challenge?’ he stares at you.  
  
‘What if it is?’ you challenge.  
  
This time, his smile is even more dazzling ‘I will be happy to test your _abilities _anytime.’  
  
You didn’t need neither Felix’s chuckle nor the special way Demetri pronounced the word ‘abilities’ to know what the man really meant, yet that didn’t stop your mouth from falling open in awe, something that triggered a reaction to Demetri, who smiled even more in front of his victory. There was something that you couldn’t indentify just yet lurking inside his gorgeous red eyes, but as surprise slowly left the empty spaces of your mind and the word Casanova took them up, sounding in Gianna’s voice, you knew that you had to retaliate to the over-confident vampire, just to put him back to his place.  
  
‘I don’t think you have the certain _qualifications _to do that Demetri.’ It was your time to smile cockily.  
  
Demetri opened his mouth to retaliate, but this time Felix was way faster.  
  
‘I think we are already late for the meeting Demetri. What do you say both of you continue this another time, but please, let me observe from a small spot beside you.’ the tall man laughed, causing his partner to relax his shoulders and sigh with a smirk.  
  
‘Always a curious man when it comes to fighting Felix.’ He commented.  
  
‘When the fight is good, I can only agree.’ Felix chuckles and nods with his hand for you to walk first.  
  
Rolling your eyes once again, you walk past the two of them and start walking once again through the dim corridors, this time turning on the right and heading more into the heart of the castle. Both of them had fallen silent and the only thing that could be pretty much heard were your own steps accompanied with their own, which were admittedly lighter in a strange way. Before you allowed yourself to ask them about it, you just shrugged it off as another vampire ability and you refocused your mind at the matters at hand; you were going to meet Aro for a dinner that both of you would share. Surely you couldn’t eat what he would eat and you sincerely hoped that he wouldn’t have you for dinner later on, but still, sticking with Gianna’s words, you knew that as long as you stayed low, you wouldn’t trigger any murderous intentions into any one of them. You were just going to talk, that’s all and then you would be allowed to relax for the night; they needed you much more than you needed them and to go on such lengths to keep you here, it couldn’t possibly be for just making a meal out of you. That would come after you stopped being useful; if, you ever stopped being useful. For now though, you could make them agree on whatever you want until a certain extend of course; you would calculate how far you would be able to go and then place your own rules. You didn’t have any fear for them and death wasn’t something that scared you from long ago, so, you had nothing left to lose. You would gamble everything tonight.  
  
Thus, when you finally reached a plain dark wooden door and stopped in front of it, you found yourself to be relaxed and focused, more than ever before in your entire life. Maybe that was what your father meant when he advised you to take things more coldly and logically. Yes, your heart was beating frantically inside your chest and your breathing was a bit heavier than what you would like, but you were still calm, even when Felix raised his enormous hand and knocked hardly on the door and a certain ‘Come in’ sounded from behind it, happier than you would expect it to be.  
  
Vamp-Hercules opened the door for you and nodded courteously for you to pass first, before he and Demetri entered the room along with you.  
  
The moment you stood inside the new room, you were once again amazed by the luxury yet simplicity that characterized it this time; the walls were plain white and somewhat old since the paint was coming off in many places, with a huge window decorating the wall opposite from you and allowing a grand, majestic view over the town. A marble fireplace was located on your left with a warm fire already burning in it, filling the place with her dancing shadows that fell on the rest of the surfaces that surrounded it. A lavish red carpet decorated the floor and above it, was a simple table with two wooden chairs; it was covered by a linen white sheet and on the right side of it were placed so many different plates of food, that for a moment you wondered if you expected more human company. From roasted turkey, to pork, salads and even a plate that was brimmed with a rich variety of fruits, they couldn’t be serious about expecting you alone to eat all that; not without dying of course. On the left side of the table though, only a silver cup and a silver jug existed, shining a bit at the reflections of the fire that fell on them.  
  
All those things were what your brain decided to take in within a simple second, before your attention turned solely to the dark-haired man that was standing right in front of the fireplace, his rather short and lean figure dominating the whole place with such an air of power and aristocracy, that it was indeed intimidating. The minute you focused on him, Aro turned and smiled brightly, a smile that might have reached his eyes, but didn’t scare away your fears in the least as he walked up to you carefully and courteously. He was wearing a new set of black clothes, something like an old fashioned tuxedo and his ghostly white skin seemed to be fluorescent under the faint light and a bit renewed if you were allowed to say. Probably because he fed recently.  
  
‘My dear _____. I am so honored that you could join me tonight.’ He said brightly, leaning a little bit to a small bow, his voice betraying his excitement.  
  
‘It wasn’t like I really had a choice now, did I?’ you murmur, long before you had the chance to control yourself.  
  
‘I am aware that you are not in favor of staying here with us, but I hope that, in time, you will come to consider us if not your family, at least your allies.’ He smiled, but the red glow that passed through his eyes did more to terrify than to calm you, as he offered you his hand and in response, you eyed it suspiciously, remembering what Edward had said before ‘Now, before we have the chance to indulge ourselves with the conversations that await us, would you do me the favor of sharing your thoughts with me? Like that, no more secrets will be hidden from our joyous company and we could go ahead with trusting each other.’  
  
You allowed a shaky breath to escape your lips. _Breathe _____, you need air to do this…_ ‘But if I do that, only you will know my thoughts and not the other way around. Trust works both ways Aro.’ You looked at him dead in the eye, but instead of a reaction, the only thing you saw was a dark shadow eating away the red, milky color of his eyes, but his smile remained nonetheless.  
  
‘I’m afraid I have to insist on that, lovely ______.’  
  
In the sound of his words, you almost passed out. Not because you were afraid of him that much, but because of the tension that was placed as a heavy burden on your own body. Swallowing hard, you raise your hand slowly and carefully, noticing that it was shaking more than what you would like; by now, the whole room of vampires could hear your frantic heartbeat loud and clear, causing a small chuckle sound from behind you. The sound strangely cleared your mind and you placed your hand inside Aro’s cold own, with the man smiling even more, before closing his eyes and focusing. A tingling feeling spread in your palm and you immediately knew that whatever you held dear, whatever thought you had ever made, feeling that you experienced or person that you wanted to protect was now all exposed to the mind of the most power-hungry vampire in existence. Your family, your friends, your powers, your emotions, Embry, everything. In its simplicity, it was terrifying and it didn’t help at all when you noticed that a small smile crept its way on his thin lips, obviously satisfied with what he was seeing.  
  
Eventually, he opened his eyes once again and straightened his posture, never failing to hold on to your hand nonetheless.  
  
‘Majestic. You are truly a majestic human my lovely _____.’ You took you hand gently back from his as he continued, clearly entranced ‘Such power hidden within this mortal body.’  
  
‘Now you know all about me Aro.’ You say, your thoughts strangely empty but determined nonetheless.  
  
He nods ‘I do and I am happy to inform you that I do want to discuss your suggestions about the rules. But let us dine; we have the whole night ahead of us.’  
  
‘Eternity can’t wait this time huh?’ you joke as Demetri pulls your chair and helps you sit down like the true gentleman…_that he wasn’t_, you thought.  
  
In your words, Aro laughs hard as he sits down himself; it was indeed a strange sound that resonated inside the room, sounding more lunatic than happy if you were allowed to comment on it, sending shivers down your spine and once it died out, you were glad to welcome the relative silence. Once both of you were sitting properly, Felix went to stand a step behind Aro, while Demetri stood by your own side, his eyes finally averted to everyone but you; his presence unnerved you still, but it was easier this time to focus, as you filled your plate with food and Aro filled his own cup with a red liquid that was obviously blood. You tried to push that piece of knowledge away from your mind and keep your stomach from turning, so you carefully kept your gaze on your food until the dark-haired man was done and thanking Demetri mindlessly for filling your own cup with white wine. Then you looked up to Aro who raised his cup and you rushed to mimic his actions, gently wrapping your delicate fingers around your glass.  
  
‘To our future alliance. May it bring us lots of prosperous days.’ He said cheerfully.  
  
You tried to talk, but your brain denied sending the message to the rest of your body, so once Aro’s sentence was concluded, you rushed to drink a bit from your wine; surprisingly, it had a rich, fruity taste that only extremely good wines have. Setting it down, Aro smiles and informs you that before you talk, you should eat to regain your strength; it wasn’t at all what you wanted to do right now, but once you take the very first bite off your food, you realize that you were in fact famished. Last time you really had anything to eat was last night at the plane, where the kind flight attendant offered you a small candy bar. So, downright ignoring the three vampires that stood around you in the small room, you get down on eating to your heart’s content, never failing to revise all the table manners that you had learnt from your father, not wanting to give them the satisfaction of making a spiteful observation about your eating habits. Not them out of all planet Earth. That didn’t stop Aro and Felix from staring at you though.  
  
Half an hour later, you wiped your mouth discretely with your napkin and allowed the servants that rushed inside the room to clear the table in front of you, fuller than ever.  
  
‘Thank you for the meal Aro.’ You commented.  
  
‘Your well-being is our utmost concern my lovely _____.’ He smiled from his chair ‘And now, what would you like us to discuss?’  
  
Sighing, you thought about it for a second; you had so much questions to ask him, you didn’t really know where to begin from and from Aro’s patient gaze and crossed fingers, you knew that he was giving you time to collect your thoughts.  
  
Eventually, you just cleared your throat and looked at him seriously ‘Why would you go to such lengths as to threaten my friends so that I could agree to stay with you?’  
  
In your question, he flashes you a smile that reveals his perfect white teeth ever so slightly, but all too threatenly to you ‘My dear _____, I am accustomed in collecting all things that are precious and despite the fact that they have the freedom to deny my suggestion, I cannot help myself if I can offer them a certain…push to help them decide. Your friends had already broken the law by allowing a human being to know about us vampires. Yet, I was kind to them and in exchange for your own person, I allowed them to live; if they do not obey though, I will eradicate them using you.’ he admitted cheekily.  
  
This time, you were the one to laugh ‘You really believe that I am going to turn against my friends? You must really be a madman.’  
  
‘You might not have to; your friends are keepers of exceptional powers that I would like to add to my collection alongside you. But if they do continue with their rebellious actions, I will have them eliminated for the sake of the rest of us.’ He said.  
  
‘You’ you spit out with your voice filled with hatred ‘Will not touch, not even a single hair of their heads. Do you understand? And also, I know damn well about your mind games. So I will not allow you to mess with my head and if I even suspect such thing, I will kill all of you.’ you threaten.  
  
‘My, my do not allow yourself to worry so much my dear ____.’ Aro smiled ‘Your friends are safe for the time being; it would be such a waste to dispose of them.’  
  
He sounded sincere for now and that made you relax a little bit. If Alice was right and Aro was an avid collector, then the Cullens were safe for now.  
  
‘Deal.’ You murmur ‘And now, how will I be of use to you?’  
  
He cracks another smile ‘I will admit that I have been waiting for you to ask that question all along. What will you do? You will join us as a true member of the Volturi Guard. Consider this a great honor, since we never had another human join us. Joining forces with Demetri and Felix’ he pointed loosely at the two men ‘You will be going on missions to enforce the Volturi law and make sure that peace is not at stake. Of course, we will evaluate your abilities and help you expand them to their full capacity as well as provide you with whatever you need; I am aware that you will need doctors to keep you alive in case you return injured, so right as we speak, the best team of doctors in Italy is coming to Volterra to fulfill that purpose and also, Gianna as the only human, will be allowed to keep you company from time to time. I am aware that one needs to sometimes be around his own kind to keep his mental state at bay. Demetri and Felix will be in charge of your well-being and you will go to them whenever you need something and if it is something that is beyond their power, then they will be inclined to inform me. Gianna has already informed you about the Laws, am I right?’  
  
‘Yes, she told me.’ You nod ‘And you will not turn me into a vampire, right?’  
  
‘My darling _____.’ He smiled in a seemingly kind manner ‘We will not force you to join our species just yet, nor in the future. Only if you abilities prove to be too precious to lose or if you ask as to, then and only then, I will give the order for you to be changed. For now, you can enjoy your human state.’  
  
‘Okay. Seems fair.’ You mumble, but your mind is racing in other matters.  
  
‘I know that you feel like we ripped you away from your family, but let me assure you that you are equally safe in here as well. We will do anything to keep you safe.’ Aro admitted ‘Now, tell me; what’s on your mind?’  
  
‘I want to make a deal with you Aro.’  
  
The words left your lips far before your brain ever got the chance to filter what you were about to say. In the sound of them, even you froze on spot, your mind screaming bloody hell inside your skull. But you had uttered it and there was no going back right now. All three vampires inside the room nailed their gazes on you, with Felix looking surprised, Aro seemingly pleased but you dared not to turn and look at Demetri, whose gaze was now burning the side of your head and shoulder. It came as a surprise to them as well; you didn’t question that. Who would be crazy enough to do so much as to propose a deal to the master of all vampires, Aro Volturi himself? Instantly, you wanted to kick yourself for ever thinking that this could actually work, but as your steady gaze continued to be carefully glued on Aro, you saw the vampire lean back and cross his fingers under his nose with his eyes filling with deep contemplation as they stared back at you. But you didn’t faze at all; this was it. All your cards were out and the only thing that was left was to see if you had gambled correctly. It was all or nothing.  
  
‘A deal?’ Aro broke the death-like silence first.  
  
You nodded ‘A deal. I will help you with anything you need, handing my powers and my own self completely to your hands to do as you please. Use me as a weapon? Destroy humans and vampires alike? Cities? Countries? Other supernatural beings? Deal. I will obey your every command and do whatever you want, never attempting to escape, rebel or act in any way against you and the rest of the Volturi, staying here forever and doing what you order me to without a single moment’s hesitation. But I want you to be absolutely focused and clear about your side of the bargain as well.’ You concluded.  
  
Aro’s eyes flashed ‘And what might that be?’  
  
‘That you, Aro, will swear to me that none of the people I consider family will be harmed by your vampires. Not a single one of the Volturi will either hurt my father and the Quileute tribe, as well as the Cullen clan. No such order will be giver from the Volturi for as long as I serve under you, either that is for sixty more years or for forever. And also, you will allow me to have contact with my father. I know that I must not come in contact with any humans, but my father only has me and you know it.’ Your fingers had unconsciously buried themselves on the wood of the chair.  
  
Silence fell over you once again as Aro was obviously weighting the advantages of your suggestions, leaving you to wonder what the man was thinking with your heart pounding loudly inside your chest; you knew that it was a deal the man could not pass that easily, but then again, they were vampires.  
  
In the end, he sighed ‘And what if I say no and keep you in here by force?’  
  
He was testing you and you knew it.  
  
‘Then I will do the last thing that is left and can save me from you.’ you simply shrugged.  
  
‘That is..?’  
  
‘Kill myself.’ You say, dead serious ‘And it’s a lot more easier for a human like me than for a vampire like you, you know.’  
  
He considered it a bit more ‘You have yourself a deal my beloved _____. But I will not allow any contact with the human world.’  
  
‘But my father is all alone! You can’t do this to me! One phone call a month! Or at least a letter every week!’ you had now leaned forward, literally begging the man, who seemed skeptical once again.  
  
‘Letters.’ He mumbled and smiled ‘How romantic they are. It’s such a shame that they don’t exchange letters anymore. Such a shame. Very well _____, my dear. One letter per week and I will make sure they reach your father’s hands. You have yourself a deal my precious friend.’ He smiled and you sighed in relaxation as he nodded to Demetri.  
  
‘You will allow me to offer you a small gift, now will you?’ he smiled, as Demetri pulled a small box from his pocket and opened it right beside you, revealing a breathtaking silver [necklace](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/6a/e7/15/6ae715934364f1df7f7701a81e10528a.jpg), adorned with red rubies.  
  
‘What is that?’ you asked, half-stunned, half-suspicious as Demetri pulled it up and bright gems shone in the light.  
  
‘To stop you from harming my own kind or attempting to use your powers against us, I have decided to give you this gift. It is exactly what can help you become more…obedient. A silver restrainer necklace, with the opposite element to your air powers; rubies that represent the element of fire.’ Aro explained.  
  
Demetri passed it over in front of you, pulling the two ends to the back softly and carefully, his cold fingers brushing ever-so-faintly from the delicate skin of your neck, electrifying you so much, that you almost exclaimed in surprise. The moment he made sure it was closed, he took a step back and you let out a breath, you never knew you were holding in the first place, as Aro smiled even more.  
  
‘And now Demetri will escort you to your chambers. Goodnight my dear ______.’  
  
  


~*~

  
  
  
  
When the breathtaking man opened the white double doors and allowed you to go in first, you allowed your jaw to drop to the floor once again, for the third time this night.  
  
‘I hope you find it to your liking.’ Demetri commented with a smirk as you stood inside the [room](http://tagouryshouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Bedroom-9-1421x900.jpg).  
  
It was literally a vast, Victorian styled room in the colors of white, beige and light brown, with the ceiling towering well above your head, giving you the feeling that the space was endless and above all, peaceful. The moment you walked pass the door, you found yourself in front of what could be a study room; right in the middle of the room was resting a huge round table, made out of beech trees, surrounded by four more chairs, made out of the same material. On top of it rested whatever you might be needing for writing or studying, while along the walls, were lined many bookcases, filled with so many books, that they had literally started to bend in; some of the books seemed really new, but your eyes were caught on the ones that appeared hundreds of years old. They must be the real reassure in here. Right across from the door was a vast, Victorian white window with a view above the village and a beige sofa resting in front of it. On the right was a door that must be leading to your private bathroom and on the left, was another door that lead to the bedroom.  
  
Walking over to it, you discovered a grand, king-sized bed in the very same colors as the rest of the room, with matching nightstands and bed sheets. There was a vanity table in one corner and an armchair resting next to the fireplace that was already lit, while huge windows decorated the wall on your right, with enough space on their windowsill, which you could spend countless hours just sitting there. The floor on both rooms was strangely paved with tiling and the complete lack of any carpets, while both rooms had grand fireplaces and huge chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and illuminating the vast space.  
  
You couldn’t even believe what you were seeing, let alone that this room was yours, so when Demetri spoke again, you almost yelped.  
  
‘I will leave you be for tonight.’ The man exclaimed with a nod ‘Whatever you might need, I will be right outside your door.’  
  
‘Ugh….th-thanks.’ You managed to say before he closed the door behind him. No spiteful nor clever remarks this time; you were too taken aback to do just that.  
  
But you didn’t want any kindness from any vampire in here.  
  
As your thoughts settled and you finally realized how tired you were, you grabbed a pillow, stripped the bed from its duvet and wrapping yourself safely inside, you lied on the cold floor in front of the fireplace; you didn’t need all these accommodations. Frankly, you would prefer it if they did treat you like a prisoner. Because that was all that you were and the choker around your neck was a sure proof of that.  
  
You fell asleep, with Embry’s smiling face on your mind.


	9. Chapter 9 Laughing Material

The very first thing you heard the following morning, was the door of your bedroom opening with a few almost silent creaks and a pair of feet sounding against the paved floor with each step they took, more silent than normal yet still detectable. Shuffling and mumbling uneasily, you tried to ignore them and be drifted back to sleep, but you were not granted this small wish, since the alluring voice that sounded was clearly amused to no ends.  
  
‘I never really thought that you humans still preferred sleeping on the floor.’  
  
The bright light of the morning sun flashes after the words, momentarily blinding you and briefly swiping away the uneasy sleep you had right in front of the fireplace.  
  
‘Go to hell Demetri.’ Was the only response you gave the handsome man, who had pulled the curtains and was now turning towards your curled up frame, making you feel his watchful eyes burning your back away as you slowly opened your eyes, feeling the pain from your sore limbs hitting you like a tidal wave. Without controlling it, you let out a shaky breath and a small yelp of pain, feeling your whole body pounding from the pain.  
  
It was just the aftermath of the little one-on-one that you had with Felix yesterday and honestly speaking, it was far better than what you had anticipated at first; if you didn’t count your sore, bitten hand and the throbbing resonating from the back of your head, you felt rather okay, ready to face what the day had in store for you. You sat up, the covers shifting and rustling, as you immediately nailed your (e/c) orbs on the frame of the man that was standing right in front of the window, his characteristics heightened by the clear light that penetrated the room, making his hair seem almost like pure gold and his eyes so bright and red, like the rubies you were wearing around your neck. Demetri turned towards you and leaned his back against the wall, folding his hands in front of his chest before nodding a bit to a woman that stood on the door, holding a tray filled with food. Upon the nod, she wordlessly came towards you and rested the plate next to you, before walking out of the door once again and leaving the two of you alone. Without controlling it, an uneasy feeling washed over you and you averted your stare from the man, turning your attention to the food and starting to eat, all at the same time knowing pretty well that he was staring at you indiscreetly, with his casual smirk plastered on his face.  
  
Which only got on your nerves more.  
  
‘So, what do you want from me this early in the morning Voltudoggie? Did your playmate bailed from you?’ you comment, never taking your gaze from the croissant you were munching on.  
  
He chuckled a little bit, before nailing his dark gaze on your small frame ‘To begin with, it is far past the morning hours right now. Secondly, Felix has other matters to attend to and preparations to make. I am here only to inform you about your schedule and clarify a few things.’  
  
Your eyebrow arcs in question as you hear the words he utters and unwillingly, you glare upon the handsome man, trying to see past his superior pokerface and understand what was going on ‘I thought Aro has no more questions for me.’ you shrug indifferently, yet never losing him from your sight ‘You know, since he read all of my thoughts.’  
  
‘Master Aro may be done with his own questions, but I happen to have a few of my own.’ He cuts you off ‘I will be expecting a decent response to each and every one of them and then, I am ordered to escort you on the training room, where we will put your ability to the test. Yet, if I do not get the responses I want to, you are not leaving the room until you do answer them.’  
  
The dangerously red glow that flashed through his burgundy eyes was much more menacing and triggering to you than what you would like to admit; the whole posture of the man may seem deceivingly casual and relaxed, but you had spend much more time with actual vampires before him to know that there was something dangerous lurking under his even face. His steady gaze was fixed at you, like the predator that had finally locked eyes with its prey and decided on the best way to devour it, but alas, your brain took that time to decide that you were not going to go down without a fight. Who the hell did he think he actually was and if he needed a reminder that he was a simple guard with no power over you whatsoever, you would be glad to give it to him. So when you look at him once again, your own (e/c) eyes are burning steadily with determination and you tighten your jaw, leaving the tray of food to the side.  
  
‘You are not the boss of me; I only answer to Aro’s questions and no one else’s. Not even if you try to tortu-‘  
  
‘You can rest assured that I pose no threat to you whatsoever.’ He offers you a small smirk ‘I am only interested in the truth and nothing more.’  
  
Complete silence succeeded his words, seemingly so thick that you could practically cut it with a knife; you had absolutely no clue what game he was playing and honestly, his smirk was more apologetic than cocky, so he must have understood that the went too far with his statement, straying from his usually neutral character. Nevertheless, a question still lingered inside your mind: what he was going to ask? From one point, you wanted the man to unravel his thoughts and questions towards you, since you knew that this was a rare chance to see how he formed his thinking process and then, when the time came, use it against him in any way that was profitable for you. But on the other side, what if you were unable to answer him? You never had the chance to decide for yourself, since the man saw that you had fallen inside your own thoughts, and decided to continue on.  
  
‘Why does your blood have no scent at all?’ he commented evenly.  
  
The question, to all its simplicity, didn’t catch you by surprise and so, you chuckle darkly ‘It is just precaution that I placed upon myself on my own; as I explained to you yesterday yet you failed to process it, I had my fair share in vampire encounters far before I came here. If I was taught something, it was to conceal my scent completely from you lot.’  
  
He nods ‘And you do that thanks to your ability.’  
  
‘Well no sh!t Sherlock! There is no other way to do so and you, a vampire-wanna-be-tough, already know that.’ you tilt your head to the side ‘How long have you been a guard to the Volturi?’  
  
Demetri smirks ‘I am the one who asks the questions today.’  
  
‘It’s only fair to respond some of mine, don’t you think? C’mon, don’t be a looser doggie.’ You push him a bit, smiling arrogantly.  
  
If he was affected, he sure as hell held it to himself, betraying nothing but his small smile ‘Longer than you can even imagine. Why did you decide to stay?’  
  
This time, you roll your eyes and make a ‘tsk’ sound, looking at the man like if he was a complete idiot or a full-fledged brain dead vampire ‘Excuse me, what did you expect me to do when Aro downright threatened to kill everyone that I love? I knew that you vampires where thick in the head, but I never expected that kind of stupidity!’ you exclaim and stand up, throwing the duvet to the side and walking over to the wardrobe, opening and starting to rummage through it for some clothes.  
  
‘You did not answer my question.’ He simply states.  
  
Pure rage is now boiling inside your veins and you decide that you had enough of this mockery for today; turning on your heel, you walk up to the man fast and grabbing him by the collar, you pull him towards you so that his head was lowered on the very same height as your own, enabling you to gaze upon his bloodshot eyes with your angered own, looking at him as an equal. If that was a completely stupid decision or not, you just didn’t give a single damn, since if you were useful for the Volturi, no one was going to get you and may hell protect you, you were going to exploit that attribute to its fullest. Just because you were a prisoner and followed the rules, you failed to see a rule that stated you can’t speak your mind to the ones of the lower hierarchy and Demetri, no matter who the hell he thought he was, he was not part of it. At first Demetri is taken by surprise from your sudden move, but when the words slide out of your mouth dangerously slowly, you see a dark flash pass from his otherwise calm eyes.  
  
‘I have no intention of answering your stupid questions and you have no way of making me do so. You may be a vampire, Demetri, but you are a simple Guard just like me. Don’t threaten me, don’t come barging inside _my _room and don’t ever turn your back because the first chance I get, I’m going to kill you. And no restrainer is going to stop me. Mark my words.’ you bite out, letting go of the man’s shirt and turning your back towards him, you never even turn to look at him as you hear him talk, his mocking tone dripping from each of his words.  
  
‘I don’t believe Aro will be too happy about your small ‘declaration’ of disobedience.’ He said.  
  
‘If you think that we are allies, you are sadly mistaken. I am a human and you are a vampire. All you want is my blood and all I want is my freedom from you. We are nothing but enemies that happen to be on the same side for a little bit. Do not fool yourself by thinking that my alliance lies with you. Even Aro knows that and he knows that I would rather much die before I join you out of my own volition. Now, get the hell out of my room and let me change.’ You throw back at him.  
  
Turning to watch his reaction, you discover that he has already left. Good. That would serve him right for once and teach him not to mess with you. Grabbing a pair of clothes that seemed to be comfortable enough for you to train in them, you walk out of the room and towards your private bathroom, walking inside and locking the door, you get down with your daily preparations. Only a single glimpse on the huge mirror was enough to reveal to you many more bruises that decorated your (s/c) skin around your neck and even on your left cheek. It came as no surprise and you frowned right at your reflection, throwing your hands to cover and press your eyes, groaning loudly in utter annoyance. Where the hell did you get yourself into? Why the hell didn’t you just follow Alice’s advice?! WHY THE HELL DID YOU WENT AHEAD AND DESTROYED EVERYTHING?! You could only guess how Embry must be feeling right now, since you were sure that Edward and Bella had already returned to Forks long ago, bringing with them the terrible news. What wouldn’t you give to return back to your home and pop from some random corner, claiming that you had just played a nasty joke to both your father and Embry.. Unfortunately, this was no joke and reality seemed to be far more terrifying than any nightmare you had ever seen in your entire life; a nightmare which you doubted you would escape alive… and you had no one to blame other than yourself for your foolish actions…  
  
Pulling your hair up in a messy ponytail, you make sure that all of your clothes are okay before walking out of your room, ready to face whatever they had in store for you. Honestly speaking, even death seemed all too possible inside these cold, hostile walls of the Volturi Castle, making you curl your fingers into fists.  
  
The moment you walked outside, you found the Voltur-doggie waiting patiently for you, completely ignoring the death-glare you gave him; you really wished that Felix would be the one to escort you, but who lost his good luck for you to find it? Demetri raised his hand and beckoned you to follow the corridor on your right first, before walking a step behind you, making sure that there was no way for you to try anything. Not that you could, since the silver restrainer around your neck seemed to practically be glued on your skin and didn’t come off no matter what; and believe me, while you were inside that bathroom, you tried your very best to remove it.  
  
‘If memory doesn’t play a trick to me, you didn’t quite explain what happened to your hand.’ Demetri’s voice reached your ears after a few moments of pure silence –which you cherished the most-, making you roll your eyes in complete annoyance.  
  
‘Are we still playing the ask-me-10-questions-game?’ you exclaimed, never bothering to hide the irony from your voice.  
  
He chuckled deviously ‘You were pretty clear with your remarks before, yet I cannot risk having you walk around these walls with an infected wound from a wolf bite. Still you are lucky Gianna informed only me about it; master Caius would not be pleased.’  
  
‘I don’t give two sh!ts about Caius.’ You cut him off ‘And so what if I was bitten by a wolf? I fail to see where the problem is.’ you simply shrug. Of course, you knew all too well that Paul’s bite wasn’t infectious, or else you wouldn’t be here right now.  
  
‘For a human, you are quite thick-headed indeed.’ Demetri threw provocatively towards you, his eyes burning away the back of your head ‘If you were bitten by a wolf, it is highly possible that you are going to turn into a Child of the Moon and us vampires don’t particularly get along with them at all. Usually, the transformation begins within the first 48 hours from the bite.’  
  
‘Well, I’ll be damned then!’ you raise your hands to the sides and smile deviously ‘I have been bitten for more than that- maybe a week or so has gone by. Yet I do want to turn into a wolf and eat you one by one.’  
  
‘You would wish.’ Demetri says, walking to your side as you reach a door and he pushes it open for you with a serious face, revealing a huge training room behind it.  
  
‘You can’t imagine how much.’ You retaliate, equally serious and looking deep into his eyes.  
  
The moment the both of you pass inside the vast room, your eyes are drawn from Demetri’s own to gaze around you, like if you held the glare any longer, you would be burnt by the man. Instead, you look around you at the huge space, your gaze traveling at the marble ceiling with the three domes that towered far above you, which were probably hand painted by some famous artist and portrayed the green fields and breathtaking valleys of Heaven, the cities and fields of Earth and last but not least, the eternal flames and the tortured souls of Hell itself. You held yourself back from gawking in awe and lowered your gaze to the gothic architecture windows that allowed the luxurious morning sunlight to course through, submerging everything in the clear white light which drew your attention from the very first moment you came to Italy. When your gaze wondered further inside the room, you were amazed to discover that it was in fact, a gym; mirrors were attached to each wall around you, right behind the various machines and instruments that every gym that respected itself would have, along with a huge mat that decorated the middle of the room.  
  
‘Took you long enough Demetri. I could hear the two of you arguing from a mile away.’ A loud, familiar voice sounded, and looking to your left, you immediately locate Felix and the boy you thought was Alec standing next to an iron basket filled with basketballs.  
  
‘It is not polite to eavesdrop Felix.’ His comrade responded his tone clearly amused as the two of you stood right in front of the two men.  
  
Felix appeared even more amused by his partner’s comment and his gaze wandered from Demetri to you, with a certain thought tainting his clear red eyes, a thought that was accompanied by his smirk; you didn’t even bother with guessing what the man was thinking and honestly, you wouldn’t want to know under any circumstances. It was a bit weird though that the more time you spend around Felix on a peaceful environment, the more you failed to see his battle-thirsty personality; he falsely appeared more light-hearted than he really was, but you knew better than to think he wouldn’t be able to turn into a monster in approximately 0.1 seconds. The same went for Demetri too; even if his tone was still serious and formal, the man appeared more relaxed today… But why shouldn’t they feel relaxed? You were the one that was kept prisoner; for them, it was just another usual day in their murderous home.  
  
‘It’s fine Demetri; at least we have dear human _____ with us at last.’ Jane’s twin spoke up, interrupting whatever Felix was about to say and turning his penetrating red eyes to you, with a clearly amused expression written all over his face ‘My name is Alec. You surely kept me waiting ____; I will not be as kind next time.’  
  
The glare with which you graced him with was filled with irony ‘It’s not like you’ll grow old now is it? I do believe that you could wait for a minute or two more.’ You stand your own ground, against the obviously amused kid that was still taller than you by an inch or an inch and a half.  
  
Instead of giving you a response though, he downright ignored you and turned to the two other Volturi Guards while laughing ‘I sure like this one; she’s more hot-tempered than the other human we saw.’  
  
‘She sure is more lively.’ Demetri comments.  
  
‘How about we get this over with? ‘ you interrupt them, turning Alec’s attention back to you ‘Aro won’t be happy if he doesn’t have the report soon, right?’ you mock them straight in their faces, yet they either decide to ignore your mocking tone or fail to pick it up whatsoever.  
  
‘Of course.’ Alec says ‘You will be training with me first, to see if your powers have any effect against my own – that will clarify if you can protect yourself against mental threats and then, Felix will put your shield to the test. Demetri, take her restrainer off.’ Alec said and the man obeyed, taking the silver necklace you wore off. His fingers once again brushed your skin lightly and the same electrifying sense as yesterday made your stomach drop.  
  
‘Now, go to the other side of the room and prepare.’ Alec ordered you.  
  
Clenching your jaw, you were not so happy to hear what they had in store for you, yet there was no possible way out of it. Fine. You would prove to those blood-sucking mother*ckers why they should not mess with you. Turning on your heel, you walk fast to the other side of the room, never forgetting to open one of the windows to allow the source of air you needed to activate your powers, enter the room. A rich variety of ways to prove that you could protect yourself passes from your mind and when you turn and stand at the point Alec showed you, you turn towards him with your head held high. On the other side of the gym, Alec had also acquired a battle posture, straightening his back and looking at you dead in the eye, his smile finally absent from his thin lips. Behind the boy, stand Felix and Demetri, their gazes fixed on the both of you in order not to miss a single move; it was obvious that they would be reporting back to Aro as soon as all this fiasco was over and needed to have a clear view on the ‘battlefield’. Still, you never fail to notice that Demetri was standing too close to the light, thus, the left side of his face was bathed into the warm light, allowing his skin to be a bit illuminated yet stained by his veins that appeared coal black under the strong light; a terrifying fact about the vampires, which you didn’t like at all. Still, it did reveal their true nature to the whole world to see.  
  
But you didn’t have time to dilly-dally.  
  
Your attention was immediately drawn exclusively by none other than Alec, who appeared to be smiling with an arrogant smile to you, for reasons that you didn’t quite understand at first…… at first… Your eye caught the faint glimpse of something moving on the soft mat that covered the floor and consequently, when your head followed out of pure human curiosity to see what it was, your body turned completely rigid and your thoughts seized to exist when you saw a transparent, almost invisible mist sliding down from the edges of Alec’s fingers and make its way lazily towards you. As your senses where overwhelmed by the strange manifestation of a power, you did manage to take in other information as well: under the strong light, the mist appeared shimmering though a bit hazy and it was moving towards you, as if it had volition of its own. It was at that time that your brain decided to take action and realized that you had to stop it before it would be able to reach you.  
  
Clenching your jaw tightly, you point at the mist with your palm, focusing as hard as you can.  
  
Obeying your every command and movement, you felt a strong air current course fast inside the room, forming an invisible vortex around you and trying to push the mist away. The various things around you rattled and hit each other and you both felt and saw your own clothes, as well as Demetri’s, Felix’s and Alec’s wave frantically due to the strong wind who left no surface untouched and your lips curved into a smile that was soon dropped when you looked at the mist yet again; to your complete terror, it continued its way towards you, completely unfazed by the wind. That was not supposed to happen. Pushing your hand in the front yet again, you make the wind go wild around you, hitting every surface and moving the few chairs and light weighted stuff around the room towards any possible direction, trying desperately to make the mist go away but it continued to go on and advance towards you.  
  
It was so close…  
  
Just a few inches away…  
  
You have to do something!  
  
And then, the mist touched your feet.  
  
Almost upon impact, the moment you saw the shimmering mist touch your feet, you seized to see and feel anything immediately. As if all lights and anything that was connecting you with the human world seized to exist, you were plunged inside the darkness of your own mind, letting it engulf you completely and mercilessly; no matter how much you tried to keep yourself calm, to not allow terror and panic overwhelm you, you found it a tough battle to fight; you didn’t know what was going on, you didn’t know what you or anyone else was doing and above all, you didn’t know if you were being killed or not right at that moment. And that was what was terrifying you to no ends. It was surely the most terrifying curse in existence not to know and it was surely able to drive anyone mad. Yet, before you had the chance to release the scream that threatened to emerge from your lungs, the lights went on again and you found yourself back into the training room, completely bathed in cold sweat and terrified beyond human measurement.  
  
The others though, seemed to still be rather relaxed.  
  
‘So, it appears that you cannot protect yourself under mental attacks. What a pity.’ Alec commented slyly, his mist retreating back to his hands.  
  
‘You think?’ you mock him as you breathe in heavily, trying to catch your breath and cast the terror off.  
  
‘This means that you must be very careful not to allow yourself to be easily exposed. It would case us great trouble if you are affected while on a mission.’ Demetri comments evenly but you just roll your eyes in response.  
  
‘Like I didn’t already know that.’  
  
‘How about we move on with the training? Right Alec?’ it was Felix that spoke up now, his bright red eyes nailing themselves on you as a devious smile made its way on his suddenly terrifying face.  
  
The boy only nodded ‘You can go ahead Felix.’  
  
Felix didn’t even seem to hear him as he was turning towards you ‘I hope you are ready _____.’  
  
There was surely something unnerving in the sound of his voice that made you swallow hard ‘I’m as ready as I can be.’ You comment carefully, your eyes fixating on the tall figure of the man.  
  
Only that one moment he was there and the very next he wasn’t.  
  
Your body didn’t even have the time to react; your brain wasn’t even able to think properly of what was happening. Suddenly, everything around you seemed to happen in slow motion; you could see Demetri’s eyes fixated on you, his majestic characteristics suddenly overshadowed by an emotion that was neither readable nor good; a shadow that flickered inside his piercingly red eyes that they looked upon you steadily, with a focus that was a bit strange from his side and only made your heart pick up its pace faster. It pounded hard inside your chest and inside your ears and your breath was suddenly deafening. But you were unable to do even the slightest of movements. The only thing that you managed to do, was to inhale a deep breath, your eyes opening wide with surprise and your hands flying in the front instinctively, like they knew what was about to happen, like some other power that was flowing straight out of your very soul had set this single part of your body into motion.  
  
Then, you saw your air protection wall being raised.  
  
And then, Felix crashed against it full power.  
  
This time, the scream that leaves your lips pierces through the silence of the room, followed only by Felix’s victorious roar, as he raises his iron grip yet again and crashes it against your almost transparent wall. Your hands remain steady right in front of you, yet you lean your torso forward, trying your best to keep them where they were as you clench your teeth with all the power you had. Never, never in your entire life had you ever experienced such raw amount of power, neither from a human nor from a vampire. You had fought off vampire Victoria and werewolf Paul, you had gone up against James himself, but nothing, absolutely nothing, could ever be measured as the power which Felix possessed. If you had the chance to describe it in some way, you would say that a mountain or a comet was currently trying his best to pierce through your wall and reach out to you, with the purpose of killing you upon impact. The man possessed such raw power, such amount of raw, uncontrollable strength that with each punch that followed the latter, you were feeling huge parts of your own energy being consumed like the wood that is burnt by the hot lava which pours off an enormous volcano.  
  
Felix lands his clenched fists against the air wall again and again and again, a loud growl that resembled huge rocks falling from an enormous mountain reverberating like a gunshot throughout the room, while your own voice was completely drowned inside your chest. Time seized to exist around you and your pure will of survival overwhelmed your brain, eating away all reasonable thought and leaving no empty space uncovered, making you turn into an utter animal which sought the means to its individual survival, especially when your hands begin to tremble uncontrollably and your vision became tainted. You barely even feel a hot liquid cascading both the back of your head and your forehead, dripping down from your chin that was clenched with pure determination and the madness of survival. You hear someone say something which reaches your ears as an incoherent sound, your thoughts overwhelmed by Felix’s punches.  
  
It was right then that everything happens in slow motion.  
  
Felix throws another punch against you. This time, your wall completely dissolves and the punch finds you straight into your chest.  
  
For a few seconds, you neither feel nor see anything, your brain completely blacking out and seizing all other senses as well. Like that, you were unable to feel the immense pain bubbling throughout your chest from your newly broken ribs nor the pain caused by your back which came in hard contact with the wall behind you, worsening your already bad state, nor do you feel your body connecting with the floor underneath, falling down like a rag doll; completely lifeless and unable to protect itself from the pain and suffering. The next thing you were actually able to feel, was your breath coming out cut and coughing up blood, with your weak hands trying to raise you from the floor. Blood was falling from your head, staining your face and it was a real struggle not to scream as you inhaled. Yet, your sense of hearing was the only thing that was working just fine, so you heard Alec and Felix’s loud laughs pretty clear; they were laughing their hearts out, commenting about the way you fell or the way Felix hit you, not giving a single damn about your bleeding self that was struggling to stand up.  
  
Hands first. Good. Now your left knee… and now your right…… pick yourself up….slowly… you can do this….  
  
Someone walked towards you, his movements only betrayed by the rustling of his clothes and you felt him bend over you and a pair of hands trying to pick you up from your armpits.  
  
‘DON’T YOU DARE F*CKING PICK ME UP!’ you hear yourself scream through the blur, feeling whoever it was retreat his hands like you had just burned him ‘I can sure as hell pick my bloody self up!’  
  
And you did. Managing to steadily place your weary feet to the ground, you succeed into picking yourself up and straightening your pained body proudly, trying to ignore the loud laughs which continued to echo inside the vast room. The moment you look up and through the blood that was falling from your head into your eyes, you meet with the steady gaze of Demetri who was looking upon you with seriousness painted all over his beautiful face as he looked upon you with an unfathomable gaze, his lips pressed into a thin line of dismay. He didn’t seem quite as happy or excited as his fellow comrades; in fact he didn’t seem to enjoy anything that was happening at all. He was apparently the only one that rushed to help you but to tell you the truth, the pure hate that was pouring out of your heart made you want to spit on his face; f*ck him, f*ck them, f*ck Aro, f*ck them all! Let them burn in f*cking hell for all that you care.  
  
‘Don’t laugh.’ Demetri said to his comrades, his voice dripping with sternness, but his words fell of deaf ears.  
  
‘No, Demetri, let them laugh all they want.’ You simply whispered, drawing the man’s attention yet again ‘It is only natural for them to laugh at the spectacle they made of me. Like, why should they care? Why should you care? I’m the pathetic little human that is unable to even defend herself against the superior predators that prey on the human kind, so why shouldn’t they laugh? It’s just like how the cats play with the mice before they kill them; it’s really funny how you ripped me away from my friends and family, how you isolated me, so why not humiliate me by making me a laughing material? But you know what? It is easy to laugh on the weaker ones when you can overpower them any single time. But that doesn’t make you bigger than them. You are the pathetic ones.’ You say and spit a mouthful of blood on the floor right in front of him.  
  
Walking past him and without throwing a single glance behind you, you exit the room, leaving them behind.


	10. Chapter 9.5 Embry

** _Come back. Even as a shadow, even as a dream.  
—Euripides_ **

  
  
_ _   
_ **How do you go on knowing that you will never again—not ever, ever—see the person you have loved? How do you survive a single hour, a single minute, a single second of that knowledge? How do you hold yourself together?** _   
** _—Howard Jacobson_ **

  
  
  
_**I wanted to kill someone and I wanted to die and I wanted to run as far and as fast as I could because she was never coming back. She had fallen off the face of the earth and she was never coming back.**_  
  
_**—Melissa Kantor**_

  
  
  
The deep, luxurious forest surrounding Forks, Washington, was strangely quiet. Not a single leaf seemed to wave to the absolute non-existent wind and the small animals that ventured out in the morning hours where absent in every sense, making the forest look like a deserted space, an alien landscape that could easily transfuse absolute terror and cautiousness to any passer-by. It was something not normal in any sense. The heavy grayish clouds that were permanently hanging from the sky were a bit lighter today, offering more light than every other day. Like they were desperately trying to lighten the mood of Nature itself up; like the storm that hit Forks these past few days was so immense, that required some making up from God Himself.  
  
But look! Something is actually moving inside the forest, marching its way through the trees and the rich flora that towered well all around him, covering up the firmament completely.  
  
Embry was walking through the trees, his steps hard against the solid ground and his body advancing forward without any special try from his part. Giving not a single care for the fact that the temperature was in dangerously low level, he was wearing only a pair of pants and sneakers, the damp air falling on his russet skin like the ever-so-light touch of an angel. Small drops of water were still cascading from the leaves, remnants of the rain that hit the forest last night, on the man, who just continued to walk nonetheless. He was walking. Walking out of reflex; his brain was ordering one foot to advance forward after the other, his breathing was continuing to fill his lungs with air and his heart was still beating inside his chest strongly and loudly. But there were two simple things that were wrong with the man. The first one, was that he wasn’t thinking at all; the whole earth could be crumbling to the ground, the forest going up in flames, an alien landing right in front of his very own eyes and the man would never notice. His thoughts were currently all drowned up, overflowing and consuming all of his consciousness in such way that the brain was left with no help but to use his unconsciousness in order to keep him alive. And that is what brings us to the second clue. Since his sense of self-preservation had taken over his bloodstream and nerves, making him a walking shell with no soul lying behind, his previously happy and warm brown eyes were consumed by a dark shadow which had engulfed them completely, making the brown turn almost coal black.  
  
He was paying no attention to Jacob that was practically running behind him, trying to catch up and yelling towards him to wait and he was just simply walking towards any possible direction that his feet lead him towards.  
  
There was absolutely not a single thing inside his mind right now....well, except from what happened just half an hour ago. This scene was playing right in front of his eyes over and over again, like a demon which haunts the purest of souls to madness.  
  
_‘Why did the Cullens call us to their stupid home? Why couldn’t we just drop by Bella’s house to see if she is alright?’ Jacob complained grumpily from the passenger’s seat, making Embry roll his eyes but remain calm._  
  
_ ‘For them to call us there, it must mean that something big has happened Jake. We’ll see.’ Embry commented calmly, trying to focus to his driving, in case they ended up losing the turn among the trees that lead to the Cullens’ house._  
  
_ It was the very first time for both boys to be heading there and under the current circumstances, both of them were on the edge for what was about to happen; Sam, as the leader of the pack, was the one that had received the request for both Embry and Jake to go over to the Cullens, since there was a major problem that needed their presence immediately. As to what the problem was, they had said nothing, yet despite Paul’s not so calm reactions as to why they shouldn’t go, Sam was the voice of reason and urged them to go and see what was happening. For the Cullens to be calling them into their own house, something big must have surely happened. To be extra careful though, the rest of the wolves would be close by, just to make sure that this wasn’t a trap and using the rare opportunity to their advantage, since the treaty was down. Embry could catch a glimpse of his fellow wolves running inside the forest that surrounded the road, but his thoughts were quickly drifted back to ______; she hadn’t called him at all from the moment she came back and that was something that stroke as utterly peculiar to the man. She wasn’t the one to let others worry for her safety, no matter how easily she jumped into fights, so her actions of not communicating left an uneasy feeling inside Embry’s gut which he refused to let surface; Jake was enough freaked out for the both of them already and if he freaked out as well, no sense would come from the conversation._  
  
_ With these thoughts in mind, he took a turn inside the woods, following the road that led to Cullen residence, stepping on the accelerator a bit more and with Jacob mumbling and complaining from right beside him, until they spotted Carlyle Cullen himself waiting on the threshold of his house. Right beside him were the vampires Emmet and Jasper, along with Edward and Bella. In the sight of the girl, Jake let out a small growl as he saw her clinging tightly into Edward’s side, but that was the least of Embry’s problems, since there was one person missing from their little soiree; and he didn’t like it one bit. Pulling the car to a stop, both wolves rushed to get out of it and walked towards the Cullens, with Jacob acting all high-and-mighty and Embry looking around to get a glimpse of ______._  
  
_ ‘Welcome Embry, Jacob. I’m happy that you responded so fast to our invitation.’ Carlyle smiled sincerely as the two of them approached. The sickeningly sweet aroma of the vampires penetrated their senses, making them try not to shrink their noses in disgust but in front of the problems that were about to be let out, both boys simply ignored it._  
  
_ ‘I see that you managed to bring him back.’ Jake commented, looking at Bella and then at Edward ‘Pity.’_  
  
_ ‘Jake I-‘_  
  
_‘Where is ______?’ Embry cut Bella off, trying to get to the point that interested him immediately. _  
  
_ Bella nailed her chocolate brown eyes to the ground, while Edward and Carlyle exchanged a silent gaze, before Carlyle took a single step forward and connected his palms calmly, his face betraying downright worry; something that Embry didn’t like at all._  
  
_ ‘It seems that we have a few... complications... when it comes to dear _____.’_  
  
_ Embry’s heart tightened ‘What kind of complications?’_  
  
_ ‘When Bella and _____ came to stop me from exposing myself, we were all drawn into a meeting with the Volturi.’ Edward started to explain, his black eyes nailed on Embry, but Jacob cut him off._  
  
_ ‘Who in the f*cking hell are the Volturi?’_  
  
_ Embry threw a warning glance at Jake, but the vampire known as Jasper was the one to speak first ‘They are the nobility of our own kind. The largest and deadliest coven of vampires, which enforces the law, using the incredible influence they have. They make sure that our presence is hidden from humans as well as punish the ones that disobey. Their coven has existed for more than 3000 years and the base of their operations is Volterra, Italy.’_  
  
_ ‘This is where I went when I thought Bella was dead. I was planning on exposing myself to the humans, but Bella and the girls stopped me before it was too late. Still, too much attention was drawn and we were summoned in their throne room.’_  
  
_‘Wait.’ Embry stopped Edward, raising his hand a little bit and with his eyes filled with dangerous curiosity ‘And you took ____ and Bella in there with you? Are you insane?’_  
  
_ Edward’s gaze darkened if that was ever possible ‘I assume that you know what ‘gift’ ____ possesses, right Embry?’_  
  
_ The man blinked ‘Yes, yes, we all know.’_  
  
_‘Now Aro, the leader of the Volturi, knows about her gift as well.’_  
  
_ As the last sentence left Edward’s lips, the whole world went completely numb around Embry. Just as if someone had turned the switch off, the whole scenery right in front of him went bereft of any vivid color, acquiring rich shades of black and white, losing whatever life was hidden inside of them. For the first time, Embry realized what people truly meant when they were saying that earth was lost under their feet; at that exact same moment, Embry’s feet were not touching the ground anymore and the man was in immediate danger of falling down. If his heart didn’t stop first. The beating organ took a complete dive inside his chest, falling as far down as it was possible to drop and broke into million little pieces, oozing rich blood that came out of it in abundance and almost choking the desperate man, who suddenly forgot how to breathe. His whole world came crumbling down and all life lost its purpose as two small words reverberated like gunshots inside his mind ‘She’s gone.’_  
  
_ Dreamily, his mind barely even registered Jacob’s sharp move as he swore loudly and spat at the ground right in front of the Cullens, his loud yells reaching Embry’s ears like he was hearing him through the murky waters; he was screaming something about ____ and his body was shaking so violently that Edward shoved Bella protectively behind his back, yet no one was watching Embry who had such tough time breathing, he was about to pass out. The vampire named Emmet said something to Jacob that only infuriated the werewolf more; still, Embry’s vision had started to subside._  
  
_ ‘Breathe Embry. You must breathe.’ Edward’s voice pierced through the sudden panic attack and looking up, Embry saw the man looking at him._  
  
_ He followed his advice. He breathed, even if it was hard to even remember how that was done. That’s right. Inhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale._  
  
_ ‘Is she dead?’ his voice sounded hoarse even to him ‘Is _____ dead?’_  
  
_ Carlyle nodded ‘No, thankfully she is alive and well. She is currently being held by the Volturi, since she revealed her powers to them and Aro continues to be an avid talent collector; unfortunately, there is no way to bring her back. She will remain there. I am so sorry Embry…’_  
  
_ ‘HOW THE HELL DID THAT KIND OF THING HAPPEN?!’ Jacob’s voice was now loud and clear and for a moment, Embry wanted to cover his ears._  
  
_ ‘I-It’s m-my fault. I am so sorry!’ Bella cried out, looking at the two werewolves with teary eyes, who looked back at her in disbelief ‘Edward was being tortured and I didn’t know what to do, so I panicked and screamed at ____ to help him. I screamed and screamed at her and in the end, she listened to me and used her powers to save him and that’s how they got her, I am so sorry!’ she cried out._  
  
_ ‘No. No, you are not sorry at all.’ As these words left Embry’s half-opened lips, everyone turned and looked at him, with Bella looking genuinely surprised by his reaction, yet Embry could do nothing but continue on ‘You are not sorry in the slightest Isabella Swan. You got to come back home safe and sound with your bloodsucking bastard leech by your side, so you once again have your f*cking happy family all together. You don’t give a single f*ck about _____ and you never did. All you did, was use her.’_  
  
_ ‘Hey, watch your-‘ Edward intervened, but Embry cut him off._  
  
_ ‘F*ck you leech.’ He spat at him calmly before turning to Bella who was crying silently ‘How could you do this to your best friend? Jacob shouldn’t have pulled you out of those waters; you were better off dead.’_  
  
_ ‘Embry, c’mon man just relax and we will figure something out.’ Jake attempted to console his friend, but stopped when Embry threw him such an empty stare that scared even the hot-blooded man._  
  
_ ‘Throw your tail among your legs Jake and beg her even more; kiss the ground she steps on as well. You don’t even f*cking care that she betrayed our childhood friend. She betrayed _____ Jacob.’_  
  
_ Embry was pretty sure that at this point, he should be feeling something; anger, frustration, vengeance, literally something. The reality was though, that he was unable to feel the slightest of things; he couldn’t feel the air brushing against his skin, he couldn’t feel his broken –correction- shredded heart beating inside his chest, he just couldn’t feel anything. All was lost. She wasn’t there anymore…_  
  
_ _____ was gone._  
  
_ Instead of saying something more, Embry turned and walked away from the small gathering of people, walking his way towards the woods, where he could finally allow himself to get lost; before that though, he stopped on his tracks and turned his head a bit, just to say one last thing._  
  
_ ‘Isabella, if you do so much as step a foot in La Push, I am going to kill you. And neither your bloodsucking leech nor Jacob will be able to stop me. Stay the f*ck away sl*t.’_  
  
And like that, Embry was walking for half an hour straight.  
  
He never stopped, he never spoke and he just kept walking straight forward, ignoring the world around him; what could possibly happen to restore his love for life? Nothing. ____ was far way, into a strange land that was both alien as it was unknown and she was currently being held by the most dangerous species to ever walk planet earth. How did he allow that to happen? How was he so naïve to let her go there all by herself? He should have gone along with her, since he knew that he was completely unable to live without her; but fate is a tremendous foe and here he is now, struggling to come in terms with the fact that he wasn’t going to see her ever again. And it pained him, it pained him like hell to know that he wouldn’t be able to gaze at her (e/c) orbs, hear her loud laughter or hug her with all his might, afraid that if he let go of her, she would dissolve in the strong wind. How was he supposed to live without her?  
  
Can someone live without the all-too-precious air?  
  
How much can a human be broken to feel such pain? How far can heartbreak go as to completely make someone unable to breathe? It was as if someone had kicked Embry straight in his heart, or tore off his chest and reached out for the most precious organ on the human body, proceeding to rip it out in the most painful way possible; his veins were still carrying his blood, but it felt like cold ice was running through them, shutting down all of those things that made him the cheerful man that he was. How could he go on without her? Why was he such a coward as to not tell her how he really felt about her before it was too late? Because now it is too late and this single fact is what drives him to place his hands on his head, kneel down and scream until all life abandons him. Remorse though is a cruel companion and despite all the pain that Embry felt merely in the thought of _____, now the images of her beautiful face, her loud laughter, the sound of her breathing and her big smile that was able to brighten any dull day up were there to remind him of what he had lost, what he had allowed to slip through his grasp. And he hated himself for that.  
  
‘C’mon man, you haven’t said a single word for like an hour!’ Jacob complained behind him, but his words were soon followed by the sound of steps coming their way, before three big wolves made their appearance through the luxurious flora, looking around them curiously to see what was going on.  
  
Embry knew that they were probably waiting to hear what the fuss was all about with the Cullens, but truthfully speaking, he wasn’t in the right place to share his thoughts with pretty much anyone right now.  
  
‘You know ____ did it for our own good. She cares too much about all of us that it’s insane. You can’t possibly believe that it is all Bella’s fault.’ Jake sounded from behind him.  
  
Embry froze on his tracks.  
  
‘What?’ the word left his lips before the man had a chance to control it, dripping with pure malice, and immediately, it had a chain reaction with his whole body.  
  
In a flash of a mere millisecond, Embry’s body was violently convulsing, the bloodthirsty wolf that was buried deep within him howling and scratching every surface of his conscious mind to eat him completely away and responding to the insanely poisonous rage that he was feeling right then and there. It started pouring out of his broken heart, making its way to pollute his veins, course rapidly through his blood system and enter his mind, taking away any sense of logic and clear thinking that was let within. This anger was so strong, so violent, so intoxicating, that he was barely even able to feel anything else but his mind whispering to him to let go and embrace the beast within; all he had to do was just let go and embrace the poisonous anger, let it consume him, let him get revenge for those who betrayed _____. And holy f*cking cow, it was the most alluring calling he had ever experienced in his entire life, making him for the first time focus solely onto his enemy, eyes narrowing and teeth baring, wanting to cut deep into the flesh of the neck, cutting away the carotid and enable him to watch them die in mere seconds.  
  
So once he turned to glare at Jacob, the second man knew there was trouble.  
  
Embry turned and jumped with a wild scream of utter madness as he phased mid-air.  
  
Jacob barely had enough time to turn as well.  
  
It was a terrifying scene for anyone to watch as the two wolves collided hard with each other, teeth bared and all sense leaving their minds; Jacob was the one to hold on to his conscience but Embry was now completely consumed by the anger, pain, heartbreak and bloodlust, losing himself inside the endless pit of pain he had fallen into. The struggle is so massive and rough that even Sam is completely taken aback at first, his and the rest of the pack's minds completely overwhelmed by the weight of Embry's thoughts and pain, as they are completely invaded by the scene with the Cullens which plays in front of their eyes again and again; ______ is taking over their thoughts as well and it was only now that they realized what was going on. All at the same time, Embry and Jacob collide in a battle never seen before by the pack; tough bites, kicks, growls and howls fill the air along with the rich smell of blood, as their bodies hit from tree to tree, with each of the boys going for the neck, legs, torso and head of one another, jumping on the other and trying to dominate them by.... killing him? It was all too possible at this point and no matter how much Jacob tried to knock some reason into Embry, he continued to charge against him at full force, wounding him in every spot he could reach. It was as if the kind and warm boy that was usually the most peaceful one was completely gone and in his place stood a ruthless fighter.  
  
That was, until Sam decided to step in.  
  
The great black wolf howled angrily and threw himself among the other two, blocking their ways to one another and biting them when they tried to charge once again. The loud voice of the Alfa commanded them to stop and surely enough, both wolves were on the ground, unable to do a single move against each other, completely obeying to the order.  
  
But Embry had other plans in mind.  
  
Stepping up, he turned and started running full speed into the forest, trying to get away from everything and everyone; no matter how much the others called for him and urged him to come back, he simply chose to push them away, obeying completely to the wolf that was resonating throughout his body and run as far away as he could. The forest literally flew all around him but despite the distance he placed among himself and the pack, he could still hear them pretty clearly. This needed to stop. he just wanted to be alone, away from everyone; ______ was gone and the world had turned into a mighty stranger for him, leaving him all alone to continue like nothing was ever amiss; he couldn’t do that. For now, all he wanted, was silence.  
  
The answer to his desperate pleads came by nature itself; right in front of him, many meters away but in a distance that could be easily covered with his running, he saw the trees lessening and leading towards a huge cliff. The sound of the ocean hitting against the rocks reached his ears far before the smell of iodine overwhelmed his nose.  
  
So, the man didn’t even think about it.  
  
When he reached the end, he just jumped.  
  
The voices of the rest of the pack members were completely drowned, when he changed back into a human as he fell.  
  
And then, the cold embrace of the winter sea engulfed him. The coldness only served to ease his boiling hot skin and for the first time since he learnt the news about your capture, his brain was able to cool off a bit allowing him to think clearly, the moment his heart was momentarily frozen. Yet, your image was still there to haunt him, more vivid than ever.  
  
_ ‘Just promise me that you are going to come back. __I only want you to come back safe and sound.’ His voice was clearly trembling, despite his desperate tries to keep it steady._  
  
_ Still, your beautiful eyes softened and a sad smile graced your lips as you looked up to him one last time._  
  
_‘I will. I promise.’_


	11. Chapter 10 What Have I Done?

Taking in a soft, weary breath, you gently allow your cold foot sink itself inside the hot water of the bathtub, passing through the luxurious foam and reaching all the way down to the marble floor of it. The warmth of the water surrounds you almost immediately like a warm blanket and the rich aroma of lavender hits your senses like a huge tidal wave, allowing your mind to take in the sweetness as you gently placed your other foot inside the bathtub and sank in it, feeling your bruised body relax under the comforting embrace of the liquid. Closing your eyes, you let out a shaky breath, feeling the pain in your lungs subside a bit, before you lean back and rest your head against the edge of the bathtub.  
  
‘Is the water any good mia cara?’ a sweet voice sounds from right beside you, as Gianna turns the faucet off and walks over to the washbasin, placing the various medical tools in a nice, careful row.  
  
‘Just as warm as I needed it to be.’ You comment merrily, throwing her an amused gaze, but never failing to withhold yourself from chuckling ‘It makes breathing a whole lot easier.’ You say, making sure that the luxurious foam was covering every inch of your naked body underneath it.  
  
‘There is no better remedy for a wounded body than a warm bath.’ Gianna laughs, with her heavy accent staining her words.  
  
‘I’m still trying to get used to the fact that you have to help me bathe though.’ You frown, as she walks back to you and sitting on a chair next to the bathtub, she takes your hand in hers and starts tending to your nails to pass some time.  
  
She laughed ‘Noi tutti abituarci alle cose; we all get used to things.’  
  
You frown ‘I guess this is true.’ You mutter, more to yourself than to her.  
  
It had been only four days that you were inside the Volturi Castle and the way to salvation was really nowhere to be found. Not that you would be able to exploit that given chance even if it did so much as to flail its hands right in front of you and proceed with screaming straight in your face; you were in such a bad state physically –and emotionally- that even moving around was as painful as the blasts that gave you the said wounds. Managing to take only a few weary steps out of the gym in which your powers were put under testing, you would have completely collapsed on the ground from the pain and weakness if Demetri hadn’t caught you right on time and carried you all the way to where the doctors’ offices were, doing his absolute best to ignore your infuriated screams that ordered him to let you go and walk on your own; you didn’t know what the hell his problem was, but there was absolutely no way to allow him to help you out, even if that meant dying on the cold marble floor of the castle. Still, his iron grip did not allow you to fall from his hands, not until he placed you on a medical bed and excused himself in order to let the doctor examine you.  
  
And boy, oh, boy, were you beaten up.  
  
The doctor that examined you, was truly surprised by the fact that you still managed to stay awake, mostly because of the severe concussion which you had acquired from both your fight with Paul and the two fights you had with Felix. Your bite mark was severe, but thankfully, was already healing, but the same could not be said about your broken ribs and broken left wrist; in fact, the blast you obtained on your chest not only broke most of your ribs, but wounded your lungs underneath as well, making it extremely painful to even breathe properly, let alone laugh or take in deep breaths. Needless to say, you were not so happy about it or for the fact that Aro ordered you to stay in your room no matter what in order to fully recover, not even allowing you to set a single foot out of it to get some food. The only good thing that came out of it though, was that you didn’t get to see the two Voltur-doggies for a few days –even if you knew perfectly well that they were just standing outside your closed door- and the fact that Gianna was allowed to spend her time with you, becoming your caretaker by helping you move around, eat right and as it was revealed at some point, help you take long baths once again.  
  
Truth be told, you were absolutely not complaining about the woman’s company; it was beyond than simply relaxing to have someone of your own kind surrounding and taking care of you and the bubbly personality of the woman helped you with forgetting the pain sometimes. She was proving to be the funniest person you had ever met –far more than Jared or Jacob, which were more of the teasing type- as well as the sweetest one and in the days which you passed together, you were able to feel yourself relax a bit and enjoy your time for the very first time since you set foot in this castle; maybe it was because she was human. Maybe it was because she listened to you carefully and understood up until one point what you were going through. Maybe it was because she had a beating heart inside her chest, rather than a cold, stopped one. Whatever it was, the woman was growing on you and fast and after some point, you found yourself seeking her company. It was truly, the last thing that kept you sane.  
  
‘So tell me, how was your life back at Forks?’ the woman asked you, looking up from your hand to grace you with another kind smile.  
  
The response you gave her at first was a deep sigh and your gaze wandered towards the rest of the grand [bathroom](http://homeepiphany.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/24-Incredible-Master-Bathroom-Designs-3.jpg), with the two washbasins on each side of it, made out of the most luxurious dark walnut oak wood and the beautiful marble bathtub which was placed right in the middle of the huge space; right behind it stood the shower space, with a glass wall separating it and graced with the figure of a nymph playing the harp. This was merely the bathroom attached to your own room and you were scared to find out how luxurious all the other bathrooms were. In the sound of the woman’s words, a frown graced your lips and a stinging pain shot up through your chest, arising from a different spot other than your injured lungs.  
  
‘It was amazing, because it was my own. I had my dad, Embry and Bella to take care of every single day, so I was kind of busy all the time.’ you shrug ‘You have the letter I gave you for my father right?’ you ask, turning towards her, anxiety rushing through your veins.  
  
You had given her a letter which you wrote to your father and to Embry in secret, making Gianna promise to send it the moment she found the chance ‘I have it mia cara, you don’t have to worry.’ She reassured you ‘And who is Embry? Maybe a boyfriend of yours?’  
  
Your eyes opened wide with surprise ’Of course not! H-he is my best friend Gianna; we grew up together in the same village.’  
  
The woman only laughs ‘One does not exclude the other. Feelings arise from where you never thought they would. I guess that you were watching his back as well?’  
  
‘Yeah.’ You shrug ‘He was the one keeping me out of trouble and I was the one to make sure trouble never reached him. Now that I am no longer close to him, I can’t help myself but worry so much about him; how did he react when he found out the truth? Who is going to watch his back now? What am I going to do now?’  
  
‘I would suggest you to start minding your own back mia cara; you will need to be very careful in here, since you saw with your very own eyes that they can hurt you so easily. It is bad enough to be locked in here and I do not want you to die; we humans are too fragile for them.’ She confessed, turning to look at you with her worried green eyes, her lips pressed into a thin line of worry and anxiety.  
  
‘They won’t kill me just yet Gianna; they need me for now…’ you trail off, failing to convince even your own self.  
  
‘You saw what happened to you in a mere second dolcezza. So please be more careful.’  
  
You opened your mouth to answer her, but your train of thoughts was shortly interrupted when a knock came from the closed door, making both of you turn and nail your gazes at it ‘I suggest you hurry up with the bath; your presence has been requested by master Aro.’ Demetri’s voice came from over the door.  
  
You scoff ‘Tell Aro that you have been a good boy and informed us. Not beat it Voltudoggie.’ You mock him back, but your words are greeted by nothing but silence from Demetri’s side.  
  
‘You should probably get ready _____.’ Gianna commented, her voice laced with worry.  
  
‘I know.’ You sighed and got out of the bathtub.  
  
It was common knowledge that if Aro was requesting someone’s presence, that someone had approximately ten minutes in his disposal to make himself available and go find him before he decided to come find him himself. It was surely something that couldn’t be risked and like that, you hurried yourself to get changed into a pair on new clothes and dry your hair out in order to allow Demetri to take you to the vampire lord; you may have not stayed with the Volturi that long, but things like that were the first ones to be taught to everyone inside the castle. Gianna continued to be more than simply anxious about it, resulting into making some fast movements as she was dressing you up that ended with you letting out cries of pain and her apologizing profusely; in the end though, with your hair loosely falling down and your bruised body covered by a simple white dress, you walked out of the bathroom to find Demetri waiting for you by the door.  
  
‘Make sure to take good care of her Demetri.’ Gianna commented as you walked up to the man who only flashed a sly smirk in response.  
  
‘I will Gianna.’ The man laughed as you rolled your eyes and walked pass him.  
  
The anger that was bubbling inside of you made breathing a whole lot tougher, but you tried your best to ignore it, focusing on walking down the corridor proudly while being fully aware that the gorgeous man was walking just a few steps further back from you. His eyes might not be nailed on your back this time, but from his total silence, you could almost see his smirk, even if you kept your gaze fixated in front of you on the empty corridor. Which only made you wonder why was he always so happy?! Did eternity finally break him, making him look like a lunatic? Well, he would be a handsome lunatic nevertheless…FOCUS ______.  
  
‘Are you trying to avoid me?’ he chuckled behind you.  
  
‘I am trying to ignore you completely Demetri.’  
  
‘But why? I thought that you humans loved looking at pretty things.’  
  
It was your turn to laugh out mockingly ‘You said it yourself; we love looking at _pretty things._ Now where do you fit in all this?’  
  
‘I see that your physical condition has begun to improve. Is it not?’ you heard his amused voice come from behind you and shortly after the man caught up with you, turning to nail his burgundy eyes on your frowning face.  
  
‘No it is not.’ you spat back ‘I’m still having trouble breathing and the doctor said that I have to stay relaxed for at least one week more, which means I’ll still have to have Gianna help me around.’  
  
‘Dressing you up and helping you take a bath does not sound like a strenuous job; I would gladly help you out if you would like.’ He comments.  
  
In response, you only scoff ‘Right. Well keep your hands to yourself Voltudoggie, or else I’ll chop them off for you.’  
  
‘I’m surprised your breath lasted long enough to say all this.’ he retaliates.  
  
‘Take the restrainer off and I’ll show you how lasting death can be.’  
  
‘Now why would I do that?’ he muses.  
  
‘Because your brain is completely eaten away; flirting here and there will do that to you, Demetri.’ You say reaching the only elevator in the corridor.  
  
Before you have the chance to press the button yourself, his sturdy hand shots up and presses it for you, his fingers brushing against your hand for just a split second; a second that was more than enough to send an electric current through your veins and brain, making your skin tingle and your breath to come out shakily. Knowing that the man’s acute senses would pick that up though, you pressed your lips together and held your breath, trying to hide the strange sensation that sprang inside your belly, but the acceleration of your own heartbeat earned you a questioning look from Demetri, who only nodded for you to go in first. Damn it! What the absolute f*ck was that? Keeping your head held high, you enter the elevator with the man hot on your tracks and remain quiet as he presses the button and the doors close.  
  
‘Why are you always so angry?’ he mutters after the machine starts moving, taking you both to where you needed to go.  
  
‘It’s your ugly face that pisses me off.’  
  
‘Answer the question truthfully for just once _____.’  
  
His question wasn’t exactly unexpected, but you did strongly believe the reason was more than simply obvious.  
  
‘Isn’t it obvious Demetri?’ you chuckle dryly ‘I’m in a foreign country that I know nothing of, trapped inside a castle filled with the most dangerous entities on earth who do their best to make my life a living hell. Would you be happy if you were me?’  
  
As you conclude your sentence, you turn and look at the handsome man who has a skeptical look on his face as he gazes upon you, not with the flirtatious tone with which he looked at you all those days, but with pure interest and curiosity. At that single moment, Demetri had his façade completely fallen down, revealing nothing but a curious, gorgeous man underneath that had the very same curiosity as a five-year-old kid who is fascinated by everything around it; and right now, it appeared that the item of his fascination was purely you. That simple fact was what knocked air out of your lungs in an instant; no one, and I mean no one, had ever gazed upon you like that; like you were the complete center of the universe, someone that was as fascinating as the mysteries that the universe holds. Not even Embry. Right at that moment, you felt your cheeks being set ablaze and your whole face turning utterly red, so in a desperate attempt not to give yourself away, you look away. But the man was no ordinary one and it was obvious by the simple change inside the air of the elevator, which turned from light to heavily painted with darkness, that he had noticed the luxurious red that spread all over your face.  
  
‘Why are you blushing _____?’ the way he pronounced your name send another shiver down your spine.  
  
But you were too damn proud to be toyed around like that ‘I’m not blushing at all. My head has begun to hurt again… I don’t feel too good.’  
  
‘If you repeat that too many times you might believe it yourself, but you can’t fool me just yet _____.’ Demetri chuckled, looking ahead and grinning victoriously ‘I have to admit though, I find you highly intriguing and I would like to know more about you; what you enjoy doing, how you move inside a space, how you look like when you smile or cry. But most importantly, what makes you blush with an even deeper shade of red than now. Believe me when I say this: we have all eternity ahead of us for me to learn and I will learn all that there is to you _____.’  
  
By now, you feel the elevator coming to a stop, but you couldn’t care less as you chuckle darkly at his words.  
  
‘I would like to see you try vampire.’  
  
‘Oh, I will human. You can be sure about it.’ He simply says.  
  
‘If that is your pathetic technique to flirt with me Demetri, maybe you should just give up already.’ You advise him.  
  
‘We will see about that.’  
  
Ominous as his words may have sounded to you, they were nothing compared to the spectacle that awaited you when those two metallic doors opened to reveal that you were no longer on the upper sides of the castle, but instead, you found yourselves deep down into the earth and in front of what appeared to be a dungeon. The floor and the walls were simply carved in into the rocks and soil, while on both sides, spread seemingly endless prison cells; their bars were surprisingly made out of the purest metal you had ever seen in your life, appearing luminescent under the faint light that was offered by the various torches that decorated the walls along the cells which pointed out only more the complete lack of any windows whatsoever. The atmosphere of the dungeons was both heavy and reeking with the smell of rotting flesh practically oozing from everywhere and you had to gulp down the vomit that threatened to come out from your mouth as your stomach turned. Many of the cells appeared to be currently occupied by both men and women who were chained into the walls with metal chains made out of the very same metal and your brain immediately registered that this was no human prison.  
  
Demetri walked out of the elevator first and when he noticed that you did no move to follow him, he turned towards you again and offered a reassuring sly smirk; or what he thought was reassuring. You didn’t know what the hell where you doing down there and honestly speaking, you didn’t want to know either, yet taking in a deep breath you followed behind the man, keeping a relatively close distance with him, just in case that everything went south. From his part, there was no comment but even if there was, you were too occupied with looking around you frantically, trying to figure out when the vampires that where currently sizing you up were going to attack. Knowing all too well that chains were simple toys for them, it was only a matter of time for one to break them and attack you.  
  
As a result, when one of the vampires screamed and charged against you inside a cell that you first thought was empty, your reaction was immediate.  
  
Your heart skipped a bit as a penetrating scream left your lips, reverberating like a gunshot inside the narrow corridor, as terror was seizing all of your mind and quickly setting it ablaze; your feet took a few steps back, only for your back to connect with a sturdy chest and a pair of hands to grab a hold on your two own since out of reflex, you turned and prepared to make a run for it towards the elevator. Someone spoke softly in your ear, but it was necessary for a few minutes to pass and your panic to subside in order to hear him properly.  
  
‘He is not going to hurt you; do not worry. These are specially made bars to keep him inside and I am here to make sure that even if he does break them, he won’t touch you.’ Demetri reassured you, his cold breath falling on the bare skin of your neck.  
  
‘Can’t say that this is reassuring!’ you choked out, your heart still pounding in your ears and your eyes nailed on the vampire man that had retreated back in the shadows for now.  
  
‘Demetri and _____. How lovely of you to join us so fast.’  
  
You were brought back to reality when Aro’s voice sounded from somewhere deeper inside the corridor. Looking to your right, you saw two dark figures waiting for you a few meters away, completely concealed by the shadows but definitely out of the cells; the tall one must surely belong to Aro, while the shorter one appeared feminine. Jane. Realization dawned to you when your brain registered that you were still leaning on Demetri’s chest, so you rushed to take a few safe steps away, thankful that the dim light concealed your furious blush before walking past the man and towards the vampire Lord, as fast as your injured body allowed you to.  
  
‘What seems to be the problem Aro? Why did you ask for me?’ you say as your reach the two of them, their figures and faces becoming clearer the closer you got to them.  
  
‘My dear _____.’ Aro offered you a sincere smile that nevertheless failed to reach his milky red eyes ‘It appears that we have a matter in our hands that we would like for you to take care.’  
  
In his words, you swallow hard and alter your gaze between him and Jane, who was looking at you with nothing but pure spite written all over her childish face; Aro’s words seemed sinister for a single moment there and when you allowed the vampire Lord to turn you and pointed right inside the cell they were standing outside of, more questions arose inside your mind.  
  
Sitting against the wall in the back of the cell, was yet another vampire. He appeared to be roughly around nineteen years of age, or maybe he was in your own age altogether. His hands were suspended over his head and wrapped tightly with the same chains as all the others while his face was gently resting on one of his arms, his piercing red eyes following each and every one of you; still, he made no movement against you whatsoever. His hair was in a rich, dark brown color, almost as dark as chestnut wood and his complexion was as white as all other vampires. He had strong, masculine features which all came together nicely with his high cheekbones and his strong jawline, accompanied by a pair of full lips. He was wearing nothing but a pair of shredded jeans and from all the dirt which had made its way on his flawless body, you could tell that he had spend quite some time in here. When his eyes nailed themselves on you, the hunger that arose was soon replaced by something you didn’t quite recognize.  
  
‘Dear [Alastair](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/12/5f/6c/125f6ccc16d36a08c45ff67f3dd9b07a.jpg) right here was one of our kindest friends for many centuries, a true treasure indeed; both for his ability to control dreams, as well as, a helper in the war against the Romanians. These past few years though, he has committed a heinous crime against our kind by revealing his true nature to a human.’ Aro commented beside you, passing his hand softly on your back. It was a move that was more threatening than reassuring.  
  
‘You see my dear _____, Alastair fell in love with a human girl and thus revealed his true nature to her; just like dear Edward did with Isabella. Unfortunately, in Alastair’s case, we weren’t able to make an agreement maybe because we were not so lenient then. The girl was executed and he was imprisoned in here, for the past ten years…’ Aro’s voice trailed off, offering a shiver that shot through your spine.  
  
You weren’t too sure as to why he was telling you this.  
  
‘And how can I be of help with him Aro? Get straight to the point.’ You simply said sternly.  
  
Aro though, was clearly amused ‘It is simple, my dear. I want you to use your powers to kill him.’  
  
Of all the possible scenarios that your brain offered you, none of them would have ever even had a possibility like this one; being thrown inside one of the cages, offered as a sacrifice to the deserted man inside the cage or even being imprisoned yourself, would have been a likely possibility, standing on some kind of logic. Yet instead, the vampire coven was one step ahead of you again and was now ordering you to kill the vampire inside the cell. A vampire that was about your age. A vampire that was convicted for the heinous crime of falling in love. A vampire that was utterly innocent, in comparison with the ones that were surrounding you right at this moment.  
  
This was outrageous.  
  
If they ever thought that you were a cold-blooded killer like the likes of them, they were sadly mistaken; you were pretty much able to choose right from wrong on your own and the request that you were presented with right now, was nothing but wrong. There was not a crime to begin with and to think that the man in front of you was imprisoned for ten years, let alone the possibility that he might have watched his loved one die right before his eyes, made you seriously furious with the vampires around of you, the all-mighty Volturi that thought the world belonged to them. Had they completely lost their sense of humanity? Their sense of logic? One thing was for sure though and as the seconds passed, more determination and anger sprang from your heart, burning inside your veins like pure, hot iron: you were not going to kill that man.  
  
You turn to Aro, who was watching you very closely, having pressed his two hands together, resting his nose on them.  
  
‘You can go f*ck yourself.’ You reply in a monotone.  
  
Their reactions were immediate. Aro let out a small, amused chuckle, Demetri went paler if that was even possible and Jane let out a hellish growl towards you, baring her teeth and leaning forward in a sudden attack mode; you didn’t even flinch at her sight, but instead kept your gaze steady on Aro, who appeared to be enjoying all of this to the fullest. It was obvious that the man wasn’t used to this kind of expressions if you counted his rank inside the vampire society, but if he thought that you saw him as nothing but the leech he was, he was sadly mistaken. His burgundy eyes were still looking at you, but not a single shadow passed through them. From your point though, you found yourself adamant in your decision.  
  
‘Aaaah, you humans and your vile language; I always enjoyed hearing it.’ He laughs.  
  
But you were dead serious ‘I am not going to kill him Aro. I am not like you lot.’  
  
‘My dearest _____.’ Aro smiles at you ‘I admire your courage so much as the very first time I set my eyes on you; it is truly extraordinary for a human to fear nothing, not even us, the soulless and most dangerous creatures that walk planet earth. But I am afraid that I did not ask you to kill him; it was an order, not a request.’  
  
‘I don’t give two sh!ts about what it was, I am not doing it.’  
  
Aro’s smile falls into a sorrowful frown ‘Is this your last word?’  
  
‘I am afraid so.’ You insist.  
  
In the sound of your words, Aro turns to Jane ‘Jane my dear would you like to convince our friend?’  
  
Jane flashed the biggest smile a child could offer to Aro; she had straightened her back once again after Aro spoke to you and now her eyes practically gleamed with delight. ‘With pleasure.’  
  
Jane turned her beautiful gaze and smiled at you, the bright, happy and above all innocent smile of a small child that had just been offered a large piece of candy, and suddenly you were on fire. It was like you had just been thrown into the melting, fiery pits of Hell itself, allowing the flames to engulf your body and take it into their lethal embrace. Fire was rushing fast in every vein of your body, covering every inch of your aching skin, gnawing through the marrow of every bone in existence inside of you. It felt like you were melting from both the inside and the outside and at that very moment, all of your thoughts went to the fire as well; you couldn't think, you couldn't breathe, you couldn't even feel the pain of your beaten up body anymore. There wasn't a single cell in your body that wasn't blazing with the worst agony imaginable. You couldn’t feel where you were anymore, if you were standing up or writhing on the cold ground, you could barely even hear yourself scream over the pain in your ears, reacting to the excruciating pain that seemed to be heightened slowly but steadily. It was at that moment that you wished for Death to take you; yes, the sweet salvation of Death would be just the right remedy for this hellish fire, the correct kind of remedy that would set you free. Oh how you longed for Death.  
  
Suddenly, the pain vanished.  
  
Just as when it had started, it simply went away in an instant, allowing the room to appear once again around you and enable you to take your first breath.  
  
Well, not quite like that.  
  
Because as the pain stopped, you found yourself fallen on the cold ground of the underground prison, tilted to the side by two sturdy hands that were keeping you there as you were coughing up huge gulps of blood and struggling with your bruised lungs in order to inhale just a single breath of the all-too-important air. Jane’s powers appeared to have such an effect to you, that your beaten up body just couldn’t withstand it and was now bleeding profusely. It seemed like eons passed by until the moment you inhaled; in that exact moment, that certain someone raised you to your weary feet, yet still kept his hold strong around your waist. It was Demetri. As you turned and looked at the man –with you being obviously disoriented- you saw him bringing two bloody fingers in his nose and whisper ever so softly.  
  
_ ‘Vanilla.’_  
  
‘Are you back with us my dear ____?’ Aro caught your attention once again, as he leaned towards you to check and see if you were okay.  
  
His eyes traveled on your pale face and he smiled even wider ‘Let me rephrase my request. If you do not kill the man currently on the cell behind you, I no longer have a use for you; this means that you are going to be immediately executed and I will personally travel back to Forks to erase all the people that know of your existence from planet earth. And that includes dear Isabella, Edward, Carlyle, your father, Jacob and all the others. I am planning on keeping Embry for last though; it would be something far more fun than anything else to show him your body and then keep him alive to be tormented for the rest of his years. Now, you wouldn’t like that, right?’  
  
Your voice was drowned inside your neck, but somehow, you still managed to form a reply ‘N-no.’  
  
Aro cheered ‘Then kill him! Demetri, remove her necklace.’  
  
The man’s cold fingers released your for the first time since what seemed like ages from your silver restrainer, but your brain was too occupied to even register what else was happening, as you turned to face the man inside the cell. Tears threatened to cascade from the edges of your eyes, but you refused with all your might to let them fall, as you raised your palm towards the man, pointing at his chained figure with it.  
  
‘I am so sorry…’ you managed to choke out.  
  
What you heard next shocked you to the ground.  
  
‘You don’t have to worry ‘bout a single thing sorcha. I have been waiting for this for too long.’ The man replied, his heavy Scottish accent painting his every word and making your eyes fill with the surprise that sprang from your heart in the sound of his deep, luxurious voice ‘Let me be with my mate once again. I beg of you sorcha; send me to Eilidh.’  
  
His voice was laced with such pain and abandonment, that you instantly knew the man had given up all hope in life a long, long time ago and without controlling it, a silent sob resonated through your body, making you shake like a leaf but your conscience fought it back once again. Biting your lower lip, you try your best not to betray even a single one of your emotions, as you felt your powers gather in your hand and almost immediately, a strong air current arisen all around you, making your dress and your hair wave frantically, before it confined itself around the man exclusively; taking a hold of the empty air in front of your fingers, you felt them controlling the current with each twitch they made, tightening around him just as your own fingers would do, if you were holding his heart and squeezed it. And you hated this; you hated that in order to protect your loved ones lives, you had to kill another innocent man, a man that had done nothing wrong. And you hated the Volturi; you hated them with a burning passion that poisoned your heart like the venom spat by snakes. They should be the ones to pay; they should be the ones getting killed! But right now, you are becoming nothing but an accomplice of their lot by allowing yourself to kill the man; sure, it was either you or him, but the feeling of justice inside your heart would have gladly given up upon your own self if it could.  
  
But you couldn’t.  
  
All you could do was watch, as your fingers tightened around the air even more and the man in front of you screamed loudly, his body being crushed under the immense pressure applied by the air. At that point, you knew that his screams were going to haunt you for the rest of your miserable life inside the Volturi castle and you embraced that fact, as you would be the one to pay for your sins.  
  
The man screamed.  
  
You screamed.  
  
Your fingers finally clasped into a fist…  
  
And the man was broken into million pieces.  
  
The air current vanished from around your fingertips and unable to stand up anymore, you found yourself kneeling on the floor in front of the now empty cell; you had to place your hands on the cold ground in order not to crash down completely and your breath was coming out heavy and ragged. Absentmindedly, your brain registered that you were now all alone with Demetri in the dungeons, with the man’s piercing gaze burning your back away; though you could barely even feel it. Because right now, only one thought prevailed inside your mind:  
  
What have you done?  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alastair: Scottish origin, meaning Defender Of People
> 
> Eilidh: Scottish origin, is more commonly used these days as an Anglicised version of the name Helen and means ‘radiant’ or the ‘sun’ 
> 
> Sorcha: Sorcha is an old irish name that means one who is bright (here it is used by Alastair to portray the human protagonist, the one that still walks in the light of life)


	12. Chapter 11 Rare Opportunities

Your body was twisting and turning restlessly on the soft mattress tonight. Your mind kept switching from full consciousness into the torturous but sweet sleep, but just like the previous nights that you had tried in vain to sleep, it was proved that nothing was possible to make you fall into sweet dreams that were going to take away all of your thoughts. Every time you closed your eyes the only thing that appeared inside your own darkness were the eyes of the vampire you had killed two weeks ago. Alastair’s. The vampire who was punished for the deadly sin of falling in love with a mortal girl. An innocent vampire. And that was the exact detail that had sneaked secretly into your heart, making you lose your sleep and not talking to absolutely no one -not even Gianna- for all this time that had passed from the murder of Alastair by your very own hands. You had just killed an innocent man. Vampire yes, but still innocent. They had forced you to paint your hands with innocent blood and the only thing you managed to do was to obey the orders like a well-played puppet.  
  
However, Aro never warned you about the remorse and regret that the murder of Alastair would bring. And it was about those two small, but destructive things that had made you lose your sleep. Not eating. Not talking. So, for what reason should you continue to live? Life inside the castle of Voltera was more than simply painful for your mortal self. What was holding you? Those questions seemed to have been settled in permanently inside your mind, reminding you about their presence all the time. So it was just another tiring night without sleep. And for that reason, when a cold hand touched your shoulder your heart stopped beating and your eyes opened wide, trying to find the enemy. Only for your eyes to come across two deep, crimson eyes that shone under the moonlight which was reaching inside your bedroom through the windows.  
  
Seeing the frightened look on your face, Demetri gave you one of his cocky smiles ‘I did not want to scare you sleeping beauty, but I admit that your expression is more than amusing’.  
  
How much you wanted to slap the grin off his face, watch his skin get even paler than it already is and his cockiness fading once and for all. But your body was extremely tired for doing such thing and the same went for your mind as well, which could only make you slightly open your mouth, managing to whisper some words. ‘What do you want from my life Voltudoggie?’. As much as you wanted to be heard loud and clearly, your voice was just a slight whisper. It was comforting that Demetri had non-human super-hearing.  
  
In your words, the man smiled, revealing his absolutely perfect teeth, which oddly seemed scarier than they should have.  
  
‘Dress as quickly as possible. We are leaving in ten minutes for a mission and this time, Aro ordered you to come with us. Don’t be late.’ he ordered you.  
  
With no other comment, the intriguing vampire straightened his body, giving you a formal smile and turned his back at you while he was leaving the room fast but quietly, leaving you alone with your curiosity and anxiety. What did he mean that they were going to take you with them in a mission? Who ordered that? Aro, of course. Why are you so surprised? Besides, wasn’t that the reason that you stayed here from the beginning? You left a couple of curses slip through your lips while you managed with all your powers to get out of bed and get ready. You didn’t have to look out of the window to notice that it was still dark outside the cold castle; though the silver light of the moon helped you grab a t-shirt and a pair of pants from the closet and put them on as fast as you could. Something told you that you didn’t have much time in your disposal and the Volturi weren’t known for their patience.  
  
Despite your fast pace though, your mind was analyzing all the possible scenarios that could happen on the supposed ‘’mission’’ which you were ordered to go along with Demetri and Felix. From the random comments that escaped Gianna every now and then, you knew both of them were in charge of missions that resemblance more of executions under the protection of the Law the Volturi themselves enforced on the vampire world, so you were somewhat afraid of all the possibilities unfolding right in front of you in all their glory. They could possibly be luring your away to kill you… if you thought about it more, it was way easier for them to kill you inside the castle with no questions asked. The most possible case scenario is that they want you to kill someone; and to be honest with yourself, you weren’t sure if you could commit such heinous crime for the second time. Only in the mere possibility, you felt your insides turn.  
  
When you finally stepped out of the room, you found the two vampires waiting for you patiently, wearing the very same silver-greenish cloaks they wore when you had first met them, the day you and Bella came to the castle. None of them said a single word when they saw you, yet Felix’s face lit up with a tint of amusement written all over and you didn’t need to think about it closely to know that your worn down appearance was the source of his amusement. It was sure that Vamp-Hercules was not used to seeing exhausted people often and that was something that amused him, especially if you considered the fact that he was partly the cause of you being like that; yes, the truth was that in the past few days you were managing to breathe without wanting to scream from the sheer pain afterwards and the doctor had already informed you that your injured lung and broken ribs were already healing. Inside the whole whirlwind of remorse and pain, you were feeling a bit glad for that fact, even if you wanted to get your left hand out of the cast first.  
  
Allowing you to walk towards your destination first –as always-, Demetri and Felix navigate you through the labyrinth of hallways and corridors, towards a direction you had never walked before. Crossing vast and small hallways, going down stairs and through doors which opened on their own, you can’t help the feeling of surprise that washed over you from head to toe when another door opened and you found yourself inside a huge garage. Huge rows of cars were spreading on your right and left and with just a single glance it was evident that each and every one of them could easily cost a small fortune. Right then, Demetri and Felix walked past you, walking with their leisure towards a huge, black SUV with the necessary black windows for the vampires’ own protection against the sun.  
  
‘We are leaving the castle?’ you ask, far before managing to stop yourself as you stood beside the car, overwhelmed with surprise and looking at the two vampires who checked if everything was alright with the car.  
  
‘Aaaaand she speaks.’ Felix exclaimed dramatically, turning on his heels to look at you, obviously enjoying the whole situation ‘Some would say that you were more dead than us ____.’  
  
His comment and the sly smirk that spread on Felix’s lips was enough for you to throw him a stern glare as you pressed your lips together until they became one thin, straight line; your exhaustion combined with the early hour they had woken you up did nothing to help you be anything but caustic today.  
  
‘I would have taken that if you weren’t rotting already Felix.’ You answer calmly.  
  
‘We will have to travel until we reach our destination this time ______.’ Demetri spoke up, noticing that his friend tightened up from your comment ‘You can rest in the car or in the second transportation that will carry us tonight, so that we won’t have to endure your remarks. It is better to just be beautiful today and not so witty.’ He smiled.  
  
Ignoring him completely, you throw him a tired, ironic glare as you walked towards the back of the car ‘If there are no comments from your part, there won’t be any from mine either. You are just lucky that I am too tired to run away..’ you say and before you even raise your hand to open the car door, Felix opens it for you already as he stood right beside you and in front of the passenger’s seat, smiling to you as you pass inside and sit on the luxurious leather seat, with the door closing behind you.  
  
Maybe it was the beige leather interior or maybe the fact that they were something much more than simply comfortable that led you to make yourself comfortable the best you could, given the fact of your injuries. Resting your back behind and sinking as much as you could on the soft surface you couldn’t stop yourself from letting out a deep sigh of relief which was surely heard by the two vampires who decided that they were too occupied to comment on it. For the strangest of reasons the feeling of the car around you gave you a feeling of security, especially when you heard the engine light up with an almost silent buzz.  
  
Demetri was driving carefully towards the exit and when you passed from the parking lot to Voltera’s open road you couldn’t stop yourself from looking around with pure awe like you were seeing the place for the very first time. Maybe the fact that you hadn’t seen the world for at least 3-4 weeks made you see the empty roads of Voltera as a distant and dark place of paradise were the light of the moon swallows everything. It was too late for people to be outside on the streets. You were sure that they were already sleeping deeply for them to notice the black SUV that was running through the narrow roads. Even if no one noticed you passing through you were still relived. The scenery was calming you down along with the thought that you were among with your own kind and nor the constant stares of Demetri through the mirror could send away this peacefulness. In just a few minutes you passed the gates of the town, crossing the dark country side through a different direction from the one Alice used to get you in town.  
  
It was rather weird that neither Demetri nor Felix talked at all during the journey making you wander if something happened or it was just you being tired. The truth was that the slow jolts of the car were making you fall asleep taking away the torturous nightmares. You wished for this journey to last for a few hours at least but when the piercing lights blinded you even through your closed eyelids, your mind jolted you awake and your eyes opened only to realize two things.  
  
Firstly that the car had stopped and Demetri was already in front of your door, opening it with a dork but cocky smile, offering you his hand so as to help you get down of the car.  
  
And secondly that you had stopped in front of a private jet.  
  
A shiny, perfectly white private jet stood proudly on your right with the lights of the runway falling on it and creating vivid reflections of light, making it look even more expensive. Not that your jaw hadn’t already dropped from the surprise as your eyes devoured the extravagant spectacle. You had to admit that the Volturi never seized to amaze you and this was one of those times they succeeded in doing so. Noticing that you had froze solid on your seat, Demetri pretended to cough lightly, managing to draw your attention. Your eyes nailed ecstatically on him and he graced you with a sincere smile that sends a shiver down your spine.  
  
‘Believe me; if you are taken aback already, when we travel, you are going to be knocked off your feet.’ He murmured loudly enough for only you to hear and offered you his hand once again ‘I can wait for you eternally _____, but it would be better for you if we went inside.’  
  
Pretty taken aback to pay any particular attention when he winked at you, you give him your hand and allow him to help you out of the car gently and resting his hand on the crevice of your waist, he leads you towards the small set of stairs, with you being too occupied to notice the difference in your body temperatures. Maybe you really did have to get out the castle in a long time.  
  
‘Where are we going Demetri?’ you ask breathlessly, loosely registering that the touch of the handsome vampire falters in the sound of his name.  
  
‘We will travel from Italy to Greece this time. There is a small vampire coven in one of the villages on the mountains of Greece that has already drawn too much attention with their lifestyle, so Aro is sending us to remind them of the laws.’ He responded ‘The flight will last for approximately three hours and it will already be dawn when we will arrive. Can I dare to guess that you have never been to Greece before?’  
  
You nod negatively ‘Truth be told, I haven’t.’  
  
A small chuckle leaves Demetri’s striking lips and as he looks at you while you have taken the very first step on the stairs, the color of his eyes reminds you of liquid rubies ‘If you stop being so opinionated, I believe you are going to like it.’ he stated.  
  
‘I would like to reassure you that I will try, but I would be lying.’ You throw at him with an ironic smile that fails to alter his cocky one.  
  
‘I’m not even surprised.’ He answers as you turn your back at him and enter the airplane.  
  
The interior was in reality even more impressive than the exterior. Heavy carpets covered the floor, in the deep shade of red wine, with your feet submerging inside their soft material with every step you took drowning any sound. Four large armchairs were positioned strategically inside the small space with their own coffee tables, in the color of sugary beige. In the back of the plane was a small bar and even further back you could see a small bedroom, most likely prepared only for you since vampires couldn’t sleep at all. Walking slowly towards one of the armchairs, to your utter annoyance you discovered that the pain on your ribs has returned, maybe due to the tiring trip. Cursing softly, you attempt to sit as slowly as you can, tightening your teeth and watching as Demetri sat across from you.  
  
‘Are you hurting?’ he asks tangling his fingers under his jaw while looking at you closely.  
  
‘No, I’m being romantically attracted to the carpet.’ Was the answer you throw at him, with irony dripping from each word ‘What do you think? Thanks to your friend my ribs will take longer to heal. Another thing that I should be thanking you for.’  
  
Your words were dagger-sharp, but the beautiful vampire seemed to have fun once again; his eyes were focused with true wonder on your face and his –as usual- cocky smile never left his face, making you shift uneasily on your chair as softly as you could to avoid the pain. He was staring at you like the day you went to the dungeons; like a small boy filled with pure curiosity for the world around him. He was sitting as comfortably as he could, ignoring the moving plane while resting his head on his palm. It was one of those miraculous times that despite your anger and pure hate for him, you couldn’t deny that he was the most mesmerizing man you had ever seen; his lean but muscular body was subconsciously pointed out under his clothes and his messy hair gave off a glimpse of luster that was impossible for you to resist.  
  
And as if that wasn’t enough, every time his calm, like the most expensive velvet, voice reverberated inside the small space, it made your stomach turn into a knot and your heart started beating heavily, making your breath heavier and the pain on your sides stronger. And you hated him for the fact that his mere presence could do that to you.  
  
The airplane didn’t take long to reach the soft clouds. Passing through the seemingly downy clumps of moisture, it slowly ran across the dark sky, enabling anyone that was interested a full view to the starry firmament without the slightest problem. Silence descended among you and Demetri, so without you realizing it, your eyelids started getting heavy from all the exhaustion and before you even knew it, you had already fallen asleep on the comfortable armchair; the pain from your sides was softly pinching the edges of your brain, trying in vain to earn your attention. Like everything around you, Demetri, the plane, the soft jolts and your fears were all washed away as peaceful sleep was enveloping you once again. Time was lost and your conscience surrendered itself to sleep. Until the moment you felt someone leaning over you.  
  
Almost immediately, all survival alerts inside of you are triggered, making your body convulse and your blood to be set ablaze. Your eyes opened wide and your hand shot up in a desperate attempt to protect yourself, grabbing the enemy from the neckline of his shirt. At first, the haziness of sleep and disorientation fill your mind, making you unable to realize who the one standing right in front of you was. Five minutes were necessary to pass before you realized that it was none other than Demetri, who had a matching surprised look on his face as you did. For a few seconds, you were left to gaze at each other and when those passed, it happened.  
  
From the sharp movement you made, your whole body shook violently and now, your sides were like burning iron under your skin, making the pain shot up inside of you in the excruciating feeling of your chest melting away, being more painful than ever. Your breath was stopped inside your lungs and without your intention, you fold in two, trying desperately to keep your screams inside your mind.  
  
‘Holy mother of f*cks. F*ck off you leech!’ you exclaim, your voice coming out like an almost inaudible pained howl.  
  
‘Honestly, you shouldn’t be using this kind of language to those who truly want to help you.’ Comes the response from his calm lips and a cloth falls on your surprised self, covering you with extreme precision on the spots in which you had started to get cold.  
  
With your eyes opened wide from the surprise, you follow his figure as he sits silently back in his own armchair, noticing that a few painkillers and a glass of water were placed on the side table next to you. Taken aback more than ever before, your gaze wanders from the pills, to him, to his coat with which he covered you, not knowing for the very first time how to react. Why did he cover you? Why did he bring you the pills? Why is he so kind all of the sudden?  
  
‘Why are you treating me nicely Demetri?’ you question, never reaching out for the pills but pulling the coat closer, his sweet scent penetrating your mind.  
  
‘Would you prefer it if I was rude? Like you for example?’ he questions, tilting his head to the side.  
  
In his calm but sharp words, you gulp uneasily. Maybe you had gone too far this time; he wasn’t trying to pull anything against you, he was just trying to be kind; maybe be the only kind person inside the Volturi guard. Not that you trusted him of course.  
  
‘I’m sorry.’ You confess sighing ‘I guess you were only trying to help…’  
  
His eyes lit up in your words ‘If I wasn’t already dead I would have died upon hearing that little word coming from your beautiful lips ______.’ He commented flirtatiously, making you roll your eyes ‘But I can assure you, helping you out was my sole intention; you were cold and I’ve been told humans can die from that. And also, you appeared to be in pain even while sleeping.’  
  
So he noticed that much huh?  
  
‘Well, moving around doesn’t help too much with my injuries and the pain only breaks my nerves even more..’ you confess, grabbing the pills as fast as your pained body allowed you to and downing them in one go.  
  
All this time, Demetri was keeping his dark gaze on you, studying your every move.  
  
‘May I ask why you are on edge all the time? I have questioned you about it previously, but your response was the least un-clarifying.’ He observed.  
  
Leaning back on the armchair, you sighed ‘You know what, you can ask. I’m feeling grateful for the pills so why not?’ you crack a small smile ‘You see Demetri, I was a tomboy since the very first day I remember myself. Having to take care of your father will do that to you, especially when he is a calm nature. I always had to defend myself by myself as well, since I was very different from the other kids in my village due to my (s/c) complexion. Luckily though, I had a few friends as well.’  
  
‘Your tomboyish days continue to this day ____, so it’s not so hard to realize that.’ Demetri confesses ‘What kind of man is your father?’  
  
‘He’s the best anyone could ask for.’ You say with a sincere smile forming in the mere thought of your father ‘He is calm and funny and he surely does know how to cook. He belongs to the Quileute tribe along with myself and my friends Jacob and Embry. My father is in fact member of the Council, so he was always trying to help them clean up after their messes.’  
  
‘And your mother?’ he asks.  
  
‘She died while giving birth to me. Dad met her when he was in college and they had started a family on their own, away from the village. Once she died, he took me and returned back in order to raise me properly along with the Tribe. He always says that I look just like her, but I haven’t seen a photo of her yet.’ You confess.  
  
‘She must have been extremely beautiful just like you then.’ Demetri offers you a charming smile.  
  
In response, you only narrow your eyes ‘You don’t fool me Casanova, so stop trying those ridiculous attempts already because I am not going to give in.’  
  
His smile was cocky as he responded ‘We will see about that.’  
  
‘Stubbornness is my middle name as Embry says. So good luck trying.’ You mock him back.  
  
‘As I recall, you said Embry was your friend?’ he says, leaning a bit towards you and wanting like nothing else to keep you talking.  
  
‘He is.’ You confess ‘He’s the best friend anyone could ask for. He is a year younger than me but a lot taller at the same time and he is one of the funniest and most caring people I have encountered; he has the unique ability to lift my mood every single time with his goofy smile and terrible jokes and I simply can’t stay mad at him at all. He was the one defending me and helping me out of trouble and his mother was the closest thing I had to a mother in all my years. If anything saddens me the most, is that I left Forks promising him that I would come back to him, that I would safely return and we would go out for a movie sometime, leaving all these sh!t about vampires behind us. But as you can see, I’m still here and I know he is back there with his heart broken; and this is what pisses me off the most. I failed one of the few people I truly care about.’  
  
‘I see..’ Demetri comments, with an unfathomable shadow staining his bright red eyes; for a moment there, the luxurious burgundy turning into a darker shade, appearing both alluring and threatening all at the same time, making you inhale a sharp breath and turn your gaze to the window, hoping that the vampire didn’t notice you wavering there for a bit.  
  
‘So what about you Voltudoggie? How come you are with your masters?’ you ask, averting your gaze back to him and resting your head on your hand, trying to play it cool.  
  
Demetri flashes you a smug smile, but all at the same time continues to be relaxed on his armchair and never averting his gaze from yours. You didn’t need to read his mind like Edward or Aro does to know that he did notice the fluctuation of your heart and that only pissed you off a bit.  
  
You were brought back to reality by his heavenly voice reaching your ears ‘Aro found me a long time ago, when I was with my Maker Amun. At first I was very suspicious of him and his proposal to join the Volturi Guard but after seeing what he and Marcus were capable of and the ideas they carried, I was honored that my ability was able to earn me a place next to them.’  
  
This peaked your interest and your jaw dropped ‘You have abilities too? What on earth is going on? Aro has collected all the gifted vampires from across the world?’  
  
Demetri chuckles ‘You could actually say that. A true leader surrounds himself with only the elite of beings, so you should be honored that you are a mere human –no matter your beauty- that is inside the Volturi Guard.’  
  
You roll your eyes ‘Yeah, lucky me!’ you mutter ‘So what can you do? I know Edward and Aro can read thoughts and I have come across many other vampires that have certain tricks up their sleeves..’ you say, choosing to conceal Alice’s ability just to be sure.  
  
Demetri seems truly thrilled with your question on the other hand ‘My ‘trick’ as you like to refer to it, is to be able to track down both people and vampires alike, from whichever place they are in the whole wide world through the light or ‘tenor’ their minds leave behind. Imagine that each person or vampire has a special light surrounding their brains; whenever that individual moves, he leaves behind a faint trace of that light on every person he has encountered. Through that, I can track them down and if I have met that person, I can track them without searching for people that have met him or her. And here is the most interesting part: I have seen lots and lots of colors shining on people’s minds but no one had this particular color that you possess. The cleanest white I have ever seen in all of my years.’  
  
‘Well, I have my fair share of tracker vampires thank you very much and I can’t say that I f*cking like your kind at all; it has caused me many troubles in the past.’ You confess, shifting on your chair and getting cozy under his coat; now that a few minutes have passed, it had acquired your body warmth, creating a warm shelter underneath, which only served to increase your sleepiness. Your eyelids were already growing heavy and your body was slowly shutting down, making you unable to keep the slight murmur off your talking ability, something that Demetri also noticed right from the start.  
  
‘If you want to sleep you should go ahead; we can continue this conversation another time. We have the whole eternity in our hands to do so.’ He comments.  
  
‘Whatever you say..’ you respond, but your vision was already fading away as sleep enveloped you for good.  
  


**~ * ~**

  
  
You were woken up by the strong jolt produced by the plane which was finally touching the ground. With sleepy eyes you searched around you to see where you were, only to see the bright morning sun penetrating the windows and shining outside and on to a completely different landscape from before, signaling that you had finally arrived at your destination. Demetri was kind enough –note the sarcasm on that- to let you know that you had approximately two minutes to get ready and in a state of panic mixed with annoyance, you barely dragged your weary self to the bathroom to brush your teeth and comb your hair before you rejoined Demetri on the main cabin, with the man holding what appeared to be a completely white cloak on his right hand. The moment his red eyes fell on you, he took it in both of his hands and held it up for you to see; the piece of clothing appeared to be made out of the most expensive white linen, with the crest of the Volturi embroidered with silver thread right where the heart is supposed to be. This was the only decoration on the otherwise undecorated cloak. Needless to say, you were not too fascinated or happy to be seeing it. Its possession only marked the permanency of your decision to stay with the Volturi and when you put it on with half the heart, you were still infuriated to find out that it fit you perfectly.  
  
‘Welcome to Greece _____.’ Felix was already waiting for you outside of the plane and greeted you with a huge smile on his vamp-Hercules characteristics.  
  
‘Currently we are at the Volos Airport and our destination will be Portaria, a nearby village on Mount Pelion. We will arrive there roughly around in an hour or so.’ Demetri informed you as you stepped your foot on the new country for the first time, but his words were barely registered inside your brain, since you were too occupied with looking around you, almost entranced by what you were seeing.  
  
Greece was a whole new world.  
  
Even far beyond from what the eye could see, spread countless fields that people must be cultivating in the warmer times of the year, with the all-too-familiar olive trees that were still hanging on to their silver leaves and almond trees that were completely bereft of their green jewels occupying most of them, creating a forest that covered everything in its path; though in complete contrast with Italy, they were now covered in snow which gave the whole place an aura of cleanness and tranquility, like those post cards you saw in various shops back at La Push and various places which you could only dream of going; still you found yourself in one of those dreams-that-really-exist places. The scenery that surrounded you was idyllic and you found yourself strangely calming down in the sight of it; even if the cold wind of February pierced your fragile body, making you tighten your grip on the protective cloak around you, it didn’t stop you from turning your gaze at every possible direction, trying to take in every little detail of the beautiful country. For a strange reason, despite the fact that the sun was hidden well behind the silver clouds, the whole world around you was bathed in the strong light, giving a grand view to every little thing that existed.  
  
And the wonders only continued when you took the car and started venturing through the breathlessly beautiful country.  
  
In contrast to Italy’s wild and harsh beauty, Greece seemed to have a sweeter one, one that could only match the beauty shown in grand pieces of art or the one carried inside the notes of the most beautiful song that touches the heart once and for all. The people here were as happy and smiling constantly as in Italy, yet their homes were completely different from one another, creating towns with a variety of styles that still continued to match with one another in perfect harmony. And it was just like the scenery; switching among the beautiful mainland to the steep shores of the bluest sea you had ever set your eyes upon, the country surely did combine Heaven and Hell together. Also, you didn’t fail to see some ancient ruins as well in one of the small towns along the way and as Demetri explained to you, they were ancient temples and baths that were discovered around the area. Ancient history surely did hang from every single aspect or thing you saw and it was truly fascinating to watch. Who would have told you that places like this existed in reality?  
  
And when Pelion finally came in sight, the tall mountain towered over the city of Volos like a constant, everlasting guard that was dressed in the purest of white gowns, surrendering itself in the relaxing embrace of snow. It was utterly breathtaking and when the car raced among the steep roads, passing through the plane trees, you had completely forgotten why you were there in the first place. It wasn’t until Demetri pulled over on one random road and stopped that curiosity penetrated your mind once again.  
  
‘What are you doing? Won’t we go to the village you said?’ you asked, watching the two males pick their stuff and preparing themselves to exit the car.  
  
‘We will, but we have to continue on foot from here onwards; the house is outside the village limits and the car can’t go there.’ Demetri informed you.  
  
‘Plus they won’t see us coming that way squirt.’ Felix turned towards you and offered you a cheeky wink.  
  
The three of you exited the car and you were not so happy to find out that the cold had become even more chilling in this side of the mountain, making you hug yourself in a desperate attempt to generate some heat that could warm you up somehow. The vampires seemed amused by your attempts, but for the sake of your sanity, you chose to ignore both of them and watch silently as they straightened their clothes and averted their gazes into the tree line, probably picking up the road which you should be following, something that your human self was certainly unable to pick up. It wasn’t until Demetri started marching decisively towards you that you were abruptly brought back to reality, making a step back to distance yourself from him, all at the same time eyeing him suspiciously.  
  
‘What the hell do you think you are doing Volturdoggie?’ you ask, narrowing your eyes once you see his devious smile spreading on his majestic characteristics; under the grey light and the reflections it caused on the white snow, he appeared so perfect, so breathtaking, like the wild yet serene scenery that surrounded you.  
  
‘It appears I am going to carry you on my back, since I doubt you will be able to follow us as we run, no matter how advanced your powers are. So make me a favor and do not oppose it.’ he muses, having fun with the terrified expression that passed through your face.  
  
It was safe to say that in the mere thought of him carrying you in his back, your whole face lit up with such a bright red, it could easily rival his burgundy eyes ‘Oh hell no!’ you almost yell, your heart ready to jump out of your chest.  
  
‘Look at that blush Demetri!’ Felix chuckled behind his comrade, pointing out the obvious and making you feel even more embarrassed.  
  
‘I am.’ Were the only two words Demetri lets out, his gaze piercing right through your body and reaching all the way down to your soul ‘Would you like to do this the easy or the hard way ______? Personally I would prefer the hard way.’ He says, allowing the words to flow towards you with a certain hue hanging on the edges of them that you were both unable and unwilling to decipher. For your own good and clarity of mind.  
  
Silence falls among the three of you, with the vampires looking closely at you and you trying with everything you had to find a way out of it; your brain was literally turning with a million turns per second in order to find you a way out of this situation as fast as you could, but no matter how much you tried, it was evident that there was no way to avoid it. God damn it! Why the absolute f*ck did you have to have Demetri carry you on his back and why in hell’s name did he seem so pleased with himself about this fact?! Oh how much you wanted to kick him where the sun didn’t shine and just run away as fast as you can. Forget that, you simply wanted to wipe that cocky smile away from the vampire’s face and beat him on the word contest for one single time in your life. But right now, there was no possible way out of the situation you had gotten yourself into.  
  
Defeat was clearer than the snow around you ‘Fine. If you try anything though, I swear to God-‘  
  
‘I won’t try anything, you have my word.’ He cuts you off, more excited from what he should be.  
  
‘If I had a penny for every time I had heard that coming from a vampire..’ you mock him.  
  
But Demetri beat you to it once again. One moment he was standing just a few meters away from you and next to Felix, flashing you with a pleased smile and the next moment he was completely gone, vanishing out of thin air. Your brain barely has time to open your eyes wide with surprise before it registers a firm grip that grabs you by the hand and almost immediately, earth is completely lost under your feet and your body crashes against a concrete, cold wall. The scream that prepared to leave your lips was ordered to drown inside your lungs from your too-taken aback brain, as a tantalizingly sweet aroma reaches your nose, sending your mind in a complete whirlwind. It took you a bit of time to come back to reality and realize that you were leaning against a sturdy back, hands wrapped around a muscular chest out of pure instinct, legs around a lean waist and a sea of sand-brown hair penetrating your vision. By now Felix was laughing hard and a pair of sturdy hands was holding you from your legs, securing you carefully against the muscular yet lean back.  
  
‘Are you well positioned?’ a deep voice asked, clearly amused.  
  
‘Holy mother of f*cks Demetri, you could have at least warned me!’ you exclaim, holding on to the vampire in fear of falling off in the slightest move.  
  
‘And miss your amusing expression? Not for the whole world.’ He commented ‘And now, I would advise you to hold on tightly.’  
  
He gave you a warning. At least you could give him that simple thing. But nothing, nothing would have ever prepared you for what happened when he started running. This time, your scream came out louder than ever before and your eyes shut close, the moment you literally clawed yourself on the back of the handsome man. Because once he started running, there was nothing else you wanted to do so much, as to make him stop and get off from him, never allowing him –or any other vampire for all that mattered- to carry you in your entire human life. It was an experience far beyond anything you had ever seen. Yes, you had rode on Embry’s back when you where at Forks and learnt about Bella cliff diving, but as you could see right now, it was a whole lot different than running on a vampire’s back.  
  
The whole world around you had turned into nothing more but a unified mixture of colors, dropping anything that could help it be recognized. Trees, rocks, fields and pretty much anything that consisted of your surroundings had become nothing but a mere blur, allowing no one to make out even a single aspect of it. Demetri was running with such speed, that air was whipping your face mercilessly, making your (h/l) (h/c) fly backwards and they would be followed by your whole body, if you weren’t holding on to the man for dear life. If he was still a human, you were sure that you would be choking him, but right now, all that really mattered was to hold on to him. Closing your eyes, you buried your face on the crook of his neck and let out a small screeching noise, feeling him laugh as the muscles on his neck moved.  
  
‘I am not going to let you fall you know. It would be quite rude of me.’ He commented.  
  
‘I still don’t trust that you won’t.’ you blurt out ‘But don’t you dare do so!’  
  
‘You have my word _____. Now, make sure to keep your eyes open; the scenery is quite fascinating.’ He advised.  
  
‘Well, it’s not that I can see much of it; most of it is simply a blur!’  
  
‘When you will become a vampire, you will be able to admire it to the fullest. Running is a second nature to us and I am sure you will find it to your liking.’ He said.  
  
‘I am NOT going to become a vampire. Haven’t I made it clear that I want a normal life?’ you say.  
  
‘I am afraid that your life is far from normal even when you were back at your hometown.’ He cleverly observes.  
  
And you were unable to tell him otherwise.  
  
Instead of retaliating, you choose for the first time since you joined the Volturi to let the man’s comment slide without an answer. You were too occupied to do so as well, since now that you hid your face on the crook of his neck, your senses had been assaulted by his murderously sweet aroma. With your first inhale, the fragrance had penetrated your mind almost immediately, wrapping it up and filling the empty spaces like a wildfire, eating away everything in its path and surrendering you to the dazzling effects of it. Your heart sped up its beat considerably and for a single moment, all you wanted to do was stay there; if Heaven had an aroma, you were sure that this must be it. You couldn’t discern what it was, but it was simply heavenly.  
  
Yet the dream came to an end when Demetri came to a stop on the edge of a small valley. Looking up, you could see a small white house resting on the opposite end of it and it didn’t take you long to realize that you had finally reached your destination; three male vampires were already waiting in front of it, while a brunette female was standing just behind them. They seemed to surround her protectively and their majestic faces were nailed only on you. Suddenly, a strange feeling of dread rose up inside your guts, making you shift uneasily as Demetri helped you to step down and stand beside him. Felix was on your left as well.  
  
‘_____, we will take care of the males and you will take the girl out. Do you understand?’ Felix said in a low voice, turning to look at you.  
  
You swallowed hard ‘R-roger that.’  
  
‘We are here, under the orders of the Volturi Clan to inform you that you have drawn too much attention upon yourselves.’ Demetri spoke up in a loud voice ‘It has come upon the Volturi knowledge that you have deliberately hunted down humans in order to feed without making sure to properly dispose of their bodies after they have served their purpose. Also, your existence has been noticed by various humans from the near-by villages. This endangers both our hidden existence and breaks the Volturi law about maintaining our true natures hidden from the humankind. Therefore you have been sentenced to death which will be carried out by the Volturi Guard. Do you have any last words to say?’  
  
The vampires shifted uneasily and looked among themselves, but your attention was drawn by Demetri, who turned towards you and reaching out to your neck, removed your restrainer with a low ‘click’.  
  
‘Do not try anything.’ He warned you with a stern glare.  
  
He turned his gaze in the front once again and he and Felix disappeared.  
  
You inhaled a sharp breath and looked over to see the other male vampires disappearing.  
  
And then the sound of thunder filled the small valley.  
  
The sound was the least deafening and it made you want to cover your ears and scream your life away but instead, you remained where you were, feet nailed on the solid ground and heartbeat becoming one continuous hum, as pure terror coursed through your mind like liquid hot metal, bringing back memories of a certain day that you had chosen to bury deep inside your soul. Screams were heard and tearing sounds and for a moment, you found yourself back inside the forest of Forks, with no other but James standing in front of the bloody mess you called yourself, smiling triumphantly. You inhaled another breath. And you were back at Pelion, staring as Demetri had pinned a vampire down but your attention was shortly drawn by the only female, which turned and started running through the forest on your right.  
  
Clenching you jaw, you knew what you had to do.  
  
Finally freed from your restrainer, you felt your powers coursing in abundance inside your body, generating from your heart and spreading fast throughout your every inch and reaching a point where they were ready to simply overflow and drown you away from all the time you had to use them. Instead, when you start running, you create an air vortex all around you that enables you to move even faster; using the air to help you diminish the resistance posed by the elements around you, your steps become lighter and your body is catapulted forward with everything you had, trying to ran after the escaping girl and stop her. Yes, you knew that you couldn’t possibly reach a vampire nor where you able to run as fast as Demetri had previously, but the sound of the girl’s steps was reaching your ears through the air and you were able to at least chase after her.  
  
It was difficult to venture through the luxurious forest and the various protruding roots and rocks made it only more difficult for you to continue on and your lungs had started to burn you, both from the strenuous movement which you inflicted upon yourself and from your injuries as well.  
  
For a while, you continued to run.  
  
And then it occurred to you, the moment you saw a clearing right in front of you, which lead to a cliff.  
  
This was the perfect opportunity to run away.  
  
The girl’s steps where turning left on the cliff and you were too far away from her house for Demetri and Felix to immediately run after you.  
  
This was your chance!  
  
Without spending a single second to think about it, you reach the cliff and catapult yourself into the void.


	13. Chapter 12 ‘Let Us Dance’

No words would ever be enough to describe the feeling that washed over you as you fell.  
  
The merciless air whipped your hair backwards, pulling them into a tangled whirlwind along with your spotlessly white cloak, the very same moment that it was knocked out of your burning lungs, out of your aching for freedom body. If you could attempt to describe it somehow, the way the air and gravity enveloped your body and started pulling you into their embrace, making your eyes turn completely cold as you watched the ground coming towards you, you would say that you had just been brought to life, after being dead for what appeared to be a true eternity. An eternity which was spend among the rest of the dead. Your heart dropped to your stomach and your powers formed an almost silver protection wall all around you, yet your descent towards the ground was so mind-blowing, it was utterly excruciatingly hard to keep yourself from screaming out in total bliss.  
  
It felt like your whole world was set ablaze. Like your very own soul seeks to be torn off your human body and become one with the sea of plane trees under your feet, with the heavenly white sky and snow, become just a single breath along with the bone chilling air. It didn’t matter that as soon as you jumped off that cliff, gravity was claiming you as her own once again; all that mattered was that even for a split second, you had managed to touch the cold wind, feel it coursing across your body and electrifying your soul and heart to dangerously high levels. Maybe it was the fact that you could control the said element. Maybe it was the fact that you truly belonged there.  
  
Whatever it was, it was a feeling you had failed to experience since coming to Italy.  
  
And it didn’t matter that your descend from the Heavens was shortly cut when you lightly touched the ground, your powers offering you a safe and gentle contact with the solid, cold ground underneath your feet. All that didn’t matter.  
  
Because you were running away.  
  
The moment your feet were sturdily touching the ground, the moment earth was solid under you and the moment you raised your head to gaze towards the endless forest in front of you, only one thought prevailed inside your mind.  
  
Escape.  
  
One step, two steps, one feet in front of the other and repeating all over again, it took you only one split second before you dashed through the trees, around and over the rocks and steep spots of forest, only to continue running towards any possible direction that could take you away from the Volturi. Away from Aro, away from Demetri and Felix, away from the madness and the blood and those immortal, cold bodies of utter perfection. You didn’t belong there; it wasn’t right for you, a mere human, to be staying with the coldest and deadliest creatures to walk planet earth. It was an abomination to even think that you could help them in their filled with dead bodies journey. It was madness to even consider staying with them until the end of your days. You were not like them; you were not a killer, you were not a murderer, you were not like them at all. All you ever wanted was to live a happy and full life, to be with the ones that you loved and you had went ahead to throw that all away just on a whim of the second. But no, you were not going down without a fight, you were going to fight for your chance to live, you were going to fight them back even if that meant killing them or being killed.  
  
And this was the sole power which fueled your feet and your powers to urge you to go further and further ahead, jumping over any obstacle that was blocking your way towards salvation. What if Demetri might be already on your tracks? You only wished that you were far enough to buy some time and disappear, because no matter how good of a tracker he claimed to be, he couldn’t possibly be that good. And you were not letting go of your only chance to run away. You were not going back to the cold and empty castle ever again.  
  
You were going home.  
  
There was no place for you to go but home.  
  
And you were going to make it.  
  
It was right at that point, that you saw something golden out of the corner of your eye. Your head turned out of its own volition and all you saw was the vampire girl from before, standing among the trees and looking straight at your very soul, her bright red eyes chilling you to the bone as she tilted her head to the side, reminding you of a true animal.  
  
Then everything happened in the spare second that your eyes took to blink.  
  
A solid, concrete wall crashed hard against your bruised and vulnerable form and the sound of a deranged scream filled your ears only that it wasn’t coming from you; no, it was way too deranged and angry to belong to you, with the sickening hunger of a true predator dripping from it like a disgusting poison. Your whole existence was so taken aback; you weren’t even able to let out a piercing scream or even fight back as you felt a pair of teeth sinking themselves hard on the soft flesh of your neck, penetrating the skin and reaching all the way down to cut your vein like a knife that cuts butter; it was painfully easy and the rich, metallic aroma of blood reached even your own nostrils. A sea of golden hair penetrated your vision and a loud, cracking sound emerged as your head came in hard contact with the hard ground, your head hitting against a rock.  
  
It was a jolt that your body was unable to take on right now; almost upon impact, your vision turned into nothing but a blur. The cold colors of the winter and the faint black and brown which prevailed around you only became stains that danced in front of your eyes like butterflies, broken here and there by the rich color pure gold had. You knew what was going on; deep inside the back of your head you were still clinging on for dear life to whatever was left of your conscience and you knew that if you didn’t do anything right now, the vampire girl was going to kill you, drinking even the last drop of your blood and leaving your cold body for Demetri to find. Still, no matter how much you tried to raise your hand and at least defend your weak self, no matter how much you ordered yourself to do so, there was absolutely not even a single drop of power left inside of you. Maybe it was the fact that along with your blood, you could feel yourself being drained from your powers as well; they were flowing rapidly towards the wound along with your blood, only to disappear outside of your body. By now, you were vaguely aware that you were screaming, but it was already too late; darkness had began penetrating the edges of your vision, clawing on the blurriness and becoming bigger with each passing second.  
  
You were dying.  
  
You were already dying inside the cold, merciless forest.  
  
Where you content?  
  
Could you do anything?  
  
What was left of the colors that danced in front of your eyes changed and a sea of greenish silver filled the blurry wall, accompanied by soft spots of sand-blonde color that seemed as if they were coming closer.  
  
But you were already too far away when a voice reached your ears, sounding like you were trying to hear it through a huge waterfall.  
  
Your eyes closed…  
  
And you slipped into unconsciousness.  
  
  
  
  


_ **~ * ~** _

  
  
  
  
‘Don’t you think it is about time that you woke up?’ a soft voice reached down into the black lake in which you had submerged yourself.  
  
It was a strange sensation; the voice echoed inside the empty walls of your mind, what was left of your soul was unable to find that last drop of energy that would grand you total consciousness. Instead, you just sighed deeply and chose to continue floating inside the darkness, feeling your body bereft of any sign of pain or discomfort. So why would you listen to that alluring voice that was trying with a steady pace to bring you back towards the light? Someone sifted somewhere close to you and you felt a soft breath falling gently on your face, blinding your senses and making your head lean up involuntarily to meet and get a brief taste of it; it was mind-blowing to even feel it grazing on your skin, so you could only imagine what its taste would be like.  
  
‘Aren’t you a bit lazy?’ the voice chuckled ‘Wake up ______. You can’t avoid me forever.’  
  
By the end of his sentence, light penetrated the darkness around you, reaching all the way down to your bruised self and blinding it completely. Raising your head to look at it, you noticed the blurred outline of an all-too-familiar bedroom and a breathtaking beautiful face leaning over you with two ruby red eyes that were filled with fascination. You wanted to ignore him and be pulled back inside the darkness, you wanted to not be able to feel anything once again, but in the view of the gorgeous man some invisible force grabbed you from your hands and started pulling you towards the light fast and powerfully. Your eyes blinked. And you found yourself lying on a soft surface, with none other than Demetri himself leaning over you on the bed.  
  
The first thing that reached your mind, was that you were no longer on the cold mountain of Greece, but rather you were safely back to your very own room in Voltera, carefully tucked under the covers and waking up from a deep sleep. Bright sunlight was coming through the windows and the vampire man was sitting next to you on the bed, smiling smugly and being more gorgeous than ever. It was only then that all memories came rushing back to you.  
  
The mountain, the chase, your apparently failed attempt to escape and the vampire girl who was sucking you dry.  
Immediately, your breath is caught inside your lungs and your hand flies to your neck, only to come in contact with a pretty large bandage covering your whole neck.  
  
‘There is no need to worry; you are going to make it.’ Demetri chuckled smugly and removed himself from over you, yet never removing himself from the bed.  
  
‘W-what happened?’ you ask, your voice coming out hoarse and ruff to your parched throat.  
  
Demetri’s eyes darken the moment the question leaves your lips, his smug smile falling into a serious frown as he gently takes your hand in his, removing it from your neck in order for you not to destroy the bandage. Still, even if you waited for him to let your hand go, he doesn’t, so with a careful and calculated move, you gently brush your hand out of his grip, resting it on your belly. For the very first time in a long while, the man makes no comment.  
  
‘It appears that you got too far away from the house while chasing the female vampire that tried to escape. You followed her into the forest and when you did find her, she overpowered you and managed to bite you. I was able to come to your rescue just in time before she sucked you dry.’ He eventually explains, his gorgeous face betraying no emotion ‘You were lucky that I could trace you right away, because one moment later and you would be long dead.’  
  
His words bring back the unpleasant memories of the girl knocking you out and then proceeding to bite you as hard as she could. The vulnerability and uselessness you felt right then and there washes over you once again, like the merciless waves of the La Push beach.  
  
‘I guess I was lucky then. Though, I can’t guarantee that this won’t happen again.’ You explain, looking anywhere else but towards Demetri ‘I guess I was not cut out for this. I’m weaker than you and you were right all along…’  
  
‘I would like to ask you one single question ______.’ The man comments ignoring your words completely, his voice stern and serious, making you shiver since it was as cold as his own skin.  
  
‘Ask away then.’ You look at him dead in the eye.  
  
‘You did not try to run away, did you?’  
  
Without controlling yourself at all, your brain completely freezes at the sound of his question, with panic rushing inside the empty spaces of your mind like a wildfire, setting it ablaze and threatening to make your heart beat faster, a sound that would definitely give you away. You had to lie. You have to lie the best you can because only God knows what they would do to you if they knew you actually tried to escape. To be honest, you never were good in lying, but this time, it was a life and death situation. So concentrating in keeping your voice and heartbeat steady, you inhale deeply and then answer him.  
  
‘No.’  
  
Your voice sounded low, controlled; it was exactly as you wanted it to be.  
  
And Demetri seemed to buy it.  
  
‘Very well. I believe you.’ He said and picked himself up, but before he was able to take a single step, your hand shots up and grabs his own, making the man turn in slight surprise, only to meet with your filled with determination (e/c) eyes.  
  
‘I want you to train me.’ You blurt out ‘I want to be able to fight vampires or at least protect myself properly from now on. Both you and I know very well that if I keep up like this, I will die in the very next mission. So train me.’ You demand.  
  
It was clearer than the bright sun which shone outside the castle that the vampire tracker was, for the very first time, taken completely by surprise. His eyebrows raised themselves in surprise and his lips half opened in awe, but you still kept your gaze nailed on him with nothing but sheer determination. Out of all the vampires inside the castle, only Demetri would be qualified enough to both train you and not kill you in process, either that was out of mistake or on purpose. And since you knew that he had lived a bit outside the castle, it was evident that he would be more than simply able to fight anyone that stood in his way, making him the best chance in training you currently had. And you were not going to let him get away with not training you. Still, the surprised stare was shortly altered to a pleased, smug one, with the man’s red eyes shining with fascination.  
  
‘Did you just-‘  
  
‘Yes I did.’ You cut him off.  
  
‘And you really want me t-‘  
  
‘Yes I do.’ It’s your turn to smile smugly at him.  
  
‘Get ready and meet me on the training room.’ He said, grinning from ear to ear.  
  
And it was the only thing you wanted to hear.  
  
Without so much as another word, you never even payed any attention to him to see when he left the room; the only thing that was on your mind was your chances in getting properly trained to fight vampires. Stepping down from the bed, you literally ejected yourself to the wardrobe, grabbing whatever piece of clothing would fit you for the occasion, smiling all at the same time like a madwoman and throwing them on. You were finally going to learn how to defend yourself; you would no longer be the dead weight for anyone to rescue and certainly not the portable blood bag for any potential thirsty vampire. With those thoughts in mind, you just couldn’t help but smile for the very first time. Not even when you got out of your room and hastily made your way towards the training room.  
  
You found Demetri already pacing up and down, carrying various things that could be of help with your training along the way; he was so focused on his work and thoughts that he didn’t notice you coming into a stop at the door. Which only gave you a few moments to take in a sight you had never seen before: Demetri had decided to leave aside his normal attire and was now wearing a simple pair of sweatpants and a plain t-shirt, all black.. The clothing was a bit tight around his torso and hands, giving you a full view to his sturdy and muscular, but nevertheless, lean figure that made you blush a very deep shade of red. Why couldn’t this man look awful for just once in his life? And why THE HELL where you thinking about that? FOCUS ______!  
  
‘Do not just stand there _____. Come and take your position here.’ The man threw at you over his shoulder mindlessly, pointing at the space right in the middle of the mat and continuing with preparing some of the things.  
  
Rolling your eyes, you follow his orders with half the heart and once you step right in the middle of the mat, you fold your hands over your chest, looking at the man as he took his place from right across you, his red eyes eyeing you from top to bottom and causing a half smile appear on his characteristics; seeing him, you straighten your back and wait for the attack. You were happy to discover previously that the restrainer didn’t adorn your neck anymore –maybe because of the wound- and this only lead you to feel every inch of your powers stirring restlessly inside your body, waiting for the time they would be released. Yet, the vampire man had other plans in mind for now.  
  
‘We will start by simple combat moves and then, if everything goes as planned, we will train your powers a little bit. But I would highly advise you to be careful when the training starts, since I will not repeat myself when it comes to the moves. Understood?’ the man smiles deviously.  
  
It was your turn to smile threatenly, your senses sharpening as far as your human condition enabled you ‘Loud and clear Demetri.’ You wink at him.  
  
‘Your flirting attempts won’t work to anyone but me ______.’ The man retaliates ‘So, when facing one of my own kind, there are some tips that can help you tremendously. First and foremost, do not let them get closer than five feet away from you. If they manage to wrap their hands around you, you are dead. Understood?’ he said, pacing in a slow circle around you.  
  
‘Yes.’ You say, trying to keep him inside your field of vision.  
  
‘Second, never let them get your hands around you. A single touch can and will mean death for your mortal self and you are of no use if you are dead. Are you ready?’ he says and steps across from you once again.  
  
‘Ready.’ You say, raising your own two fists and curling them into two balls.  
  
‘Let us dance then.’ He says and disappears.  
  
Immediately, you raise your protection wall all around you, though closer than the five feet Demetri recommended, placing all of your power in stopping the vampire who you knew was attacking. Surely enough, you see Demetri crash against your wall and move a few feet back, while your opaque wall dissolves into nothing but air. This was your chance!  
  
Wild blood rushes through your veins as you press your lips into a thin line and dash against the man with everything you had; you knew very well that this was training but you were still going to give your all. The moment you find yourself next to the man, your left leg detaches from the floor and comes rushing with power against his head, but the skilled vampire is quicker than you; before you knew it, your leg stops the moment his hand blocks it with nothing but pure ease. Yet, you were not discouraged. Quickly, you let the leg fall and once it hits the ground, your right one is being raised, aiming once again for the head. But Demetri stops it again. By now, a cocky smile forms on his lips, something that makes your blood boil with pure anger; how dare he mock you?!  
  
Your next kick finds him straight in the chest, with your foot landing right in the middle of his torso with such power that you felt a faint numbness spread across your parts like a mist, making it hard for you to stand up straight for a single second. Yet when you look at the man and see that he hasn’t move even a single bit, you are purely enraged. Your teeth tighten and your heart pounds like a drum inside your ears and in a fit of pure anger, everything turns bright red all around you. Before you even realize what is happening, you are running against the man once again. Your body turns right when you are about to reach him and following the spin, your leg is catapulted against his face once again.  
  
But Demetri was no longer there.  
  
Barely having time to feel a wave of pure surprise penetrate your senses, you feel someone grabbing you from behind, wrapping his hands around your waist and your feet lose the ground they were standing upon as the man is picking you up. Letting out a piercing cry, your turn your body and using his movement of throwing you towards his back, you wrap your legs behind his neck and trapping his head among your legs, you use your wind powers to release his grip from around your waist and grabbing a handful of his hair, you steady yourself and raise your hand in the air. The very next thing Demetri felt, was your elbow coming down against his face, coated into a silver and impenetrable cloud of compressed wind. You hit him as hard as you can and for the first time, you hear the man grunt in pain and anger. Taking full advantage of his surprise, you hit him again and again and again, letting out a victorious scream.  
  
Only that it didn’t last long.  
  
A hand grabs your t-shirt from behind and inside the split second it took you to realize it, you are already flying towards the mat and your back comes in hard contact with the hard, solid ground. Your eyes close and a pained grunt leaves your mouth, only for you to feel a weight being pressed against your chest. You inhale sharply and open your eyes, only to see Demetri hovering inches above your body, smiling triumphantly.  
  
‘No matter how much I appreciated the view from before, you will not fool anyone with that kind of a trick. Surprise attacks will help you in the long run though, but never lose your focus due to your anger.’ He says, his soft breath falling on your face and blinding your senses as much as the close proximity of your bodies did.  
  
It was strange to admit it, but the man appeared to extract a certain, unknown reaction from you every single time he was closer than what was polite. As if there was some invisible force that was making every cell in your body be drawn towards him, you felt furious and embarrassed every single time. Why? Because you were blushing like crazy. Just like now. And this fact only infuriated you more.  
  
‘Alright Voltudoggie, I got this.’ You say and allow him to help you stand on your own two feet when he raised himself and pulled you along.  
  
‘Let us resume then.’ He smiled.  
  
Taking your positions yet again, you charge against each other, with you screaming loudly and him smiling slyly.  
  
This time, he was the one to do the first move. Calculating with quite perfect precision your exact spot, he tries to grab you by the throat with a single blow; your eyes barely see the movement but all they saw was enough for you to tilt your body to the right and then to the left, employing all of your evasion abilities and missing his grip for simply mere millimeters. A surprised Demetri leaves you a clear opening to his chest and you take advantage of the situation to elbow him straight on the ribs. The man grunts and takes a few steps back but as you attempt to land a hit with your clenched fist straight on his face, it only takes him a single second to grab you hard and using his own body as a lever, he throws you to crash on the hard ground from over his back, landing with a strong crack reverberating from your body.  
  
‘Never go for the obvious point; they will be expecting that.’  
  
‘Well f*ck me then.’ You throw at him angrily, feeling every bone in your body paining you like a mother*cker.  
  
‘If you ask so nicely.’ he comments slyly and in a blur, you see his foot coming down to where your chest is.  
  
Inhaling a sharp breath, you roll to the side just in time to see the said foot landing so hard on where you previously where, that the mat sinks in right in front of your taken aback self. Pushing the floor with your hands you once again stand up and rush against the man, trying to punch him. He blocks both attempts really easily but you take the opportunity presented to kick him straight where the sun doesn’t shine, using the same coating trick as you did with your hand. Demetri is taken aback and his body folds in two, allowing you to punch him straight in the face. Still, when you attempt to punch him a second time, a hand shoots up and grabs your clenched fist and as surprise makes you open your eyes widely, Demetri is already smiling triumphantly. His palm finds its way on your unprotected chest and all air leaves your lungs the moment the palm hits you, feeling your whole body losing its ability to properly inhale. Demetri uses your protruding hand as a lever and before you even now it, your back is connecting with the solid ground behind the man.  
  
‘Never let your guard down ______.’ He comments.  
  
When you finally called it quits for the day, you were panting quite heavily and were bathed in sweat from tip to toe. Demetri didn’t spare you at all in training you and the results could already be felt from your screaming in pain muscles. The man was quite adamant when it came to proper training and he did not allow you to have even a single break, pushing you to the limits of both your powers and body. Still, when you managed to block his last attack with something along the lines of ease, a huge grin appeared on your face and Demetri finally decided that you had enough for one night. Wiping your sweat off, you let the man alone in the training room and quickly make your way to your room; as you were in the middle of pacing towards it though, you remembered that today was the day you were allowed to write your weekly letter to your father and you had almost forgot it.  
  
So turning on your heels, you start walking towards the library, quickly pushing the wooden door aside and entering the vast room hastily.  
  
Considering the fact you were inside the Volturi castle, it didn’t surprise you as much when you came across the vast library. Endless bookcases overflowing with every single book you could imagine –some of them as rare as pink diamonds- occupying each and every shelve, creating what appeared to be an endless maze of books was what your bookworm self would call breathtaking. It was the only place you could actually feel your brain get lost for a brief moment and forget where you were and what you were doing here, so adding the complete lack of vampires wandering around, you were happy to be here for just a brief moment. The whole place was majestically illuminated by the sunlight pouring inside by the arched windows and passing through some bookshelves, you chose a nice spot near them, sat down on a small table and picking some piece of paper that was lying around, you started writing down.  
  
It was a bit comforting to be able to write back to your father, even if you knew that he couldn’t write you back as well as that your letter was surely read and approved by the Volturi before it was send to him. It didn’t matter though and you would be a fool to not expect something like that from them, so you chose to not write anything too _edgy_ about your stay over here. You did though leave hidden messages inside that only dad or Embry would get, just to reassure them that you were indeed alright.  
  
‘How strange to find someone in here; let alone a human one.’  
  
Suddenly, a low, barely even audible voice pulled you out of your trance and turning your head abruptly to your right, you see a dark-haired vampire standing a few feet away from you. Only a glance on him and your brain immediately recognized that it was none other than Marcus standing on the small corridor and looking at you with his grief-filled murky red eyes.  
  
He must have been passing by and seen you, something that extracted curiosity out of the depressed vampire that appeared saner compared to his two other brothers.  
  
‘Master Mar-‘  
  
‘Do not call me that child. It is quite known that I am no master of any kind.’ The man cuts you off, his sad expression never altering ‘May I inquire what brings you here?’  
  
Well, out of all the Volturi, Marcus was definitely the most genuinely polite ‘I am writing a letter to my father.’ You shrug ‘Just letting him know I am alright.’  
  
Marcus nods sadly and inhales a very noisy breath for a vampire ‘I noticed that your bond with your friends is quite interestingly strong. Rather unusual to find someone that is willing to give up her life for the life of those she holds dear.’  
  
In his words, you clench your jaw tightly ‘There is not a single thing in this world that would keep me from protecting my friends. I would do anything to keep them safe.’  
  
‘I see… but would they do the same for you?’ he comments silently and in his words, your face grows pale.  
  
‘I am sure they would.’ You answer with pure determination. Who did he think he was to say such things to you? How dare he?  
  
‘Then why are you in here instead of out there with them? You, a _caged butterfly_ that tries to save the world with her fleeting life that only lasts for a single second..’  
  
Aaaaand this was it.  
  
‘I am sorry master Marcus, but I have to go.’ You say, standing briefly on your feet and grabbing your stuff you rush past the man, who says no word at all, quickly making your way out of the library.  
  
The words the man said ring through the empty spaces of your brain, pestering you to no limits; you knew that they weren’t true, you knew that your friends would do anything to help you out and protect you just like you protect them in return. So what if you are a prisoner in here? They are surely making plans in coming to get you and free you from the Volturi’s sharp claws, so there is only a matter of time before you are freed once again. You would do that for them, so they will do it for you. You know it. You are absolutely sure about it. Either way, it would be better for you to suffer and not them, since you wanted nothing but the best for them.  
  
With all those thoughts running through your mind, you fail to navigate yourself properly and the moment you rush out of the library that seemed to close all around you, you stumble upon what appeared to be a cold, concrete wall that was too lean to actually be a wall. So looking up, your eyes met with those of a female vampire.  
  
The woman who was standing right in front of you and appeared to be rather annoyed from you running on her, was definitely one of the most exceptionally or even unforgettably beautiful female vampires you had ever seen in your entire life. Her gorgeous and statuesque figure could only rival the beauty Rosalie had, yet she was still completely different from the blonde vampire. She had an amazing hourglass figure with long legs and full bust with long, mahogany hair that formed lively curls as they fell over her back. She was standing at the height of 5’ 10’ and her age must have been roughly around 25 – or at least that was the age she must have been turned. Now, her burgundy eyes and her breathtaking appearance made it rather hard for anyone, even you, to look away.  
  
When she looked at you, her glare was so filled with arrogance and uninterest, which gave you the strong feeling of punching her right in her face.  
  
‘So you are the human toy the cat dragged in. ______ was it?’ she said, her voice sounding mesmerizingly silky.  
  
‘And you must be Heidi.’ You said as a matter of fact. You vaguely remember walking past her as she was leading a group of people to the throne room for the Volturi to dine, back when Edward and Bella were around.  
  
She looks at you up and down and then scoffs ‘Mind where you are going next time human.’ She threw at you in a manner that was the least polite.  
  
And before you had the chance to retaliate, she has already walked away.


	14. Chapter 12.5 Demetri

** _‘There is a charm about the forbidden that makes it unspeakably desirable.’_ **   
** _~ Mark Twain_ **   
  
  
  
** _‘I am not a saint, unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying.’_ **   
** _~ Nelson Mandela_ **   
  
  
  
** _‘There are darknesses in life and there are lights, and you are one of the lights, the light of all lights.’ _ **   
** _― Bram Stoker, Dracula_ **

  
  
  
  
It had been three days.  
  
Three whole days since the day they all came back from their mission in Greece and Demetri was once again finding himself engulfed deep into his own thoughts which seemed to pester him mercilessly in the past three days. The otherwise calm and collected man found himself for the very first time unable to both, push back his memories and clear his head, as well as keep the haunting images away from his eyes. In all the years he had been with the Volturi –and even before that when he was with Amun- he had his fair deal in bloodbaths and slaughters that could haunt even the strongest of souls. Being raised in Greece when times of extreme turmoil were upon all the people inhabiting the place was not a thing for the faint hearted yet he could not remember of a thing that haunted him as much as this very last mission they had in Greece. And why was he haunted to begin with? Everything had gone according to plan; he and Felix were able to take out the outlaw vampires with quite the ease and had immediately rushed to ______’s aid since they knew very well that the young girl was not going to be able to kill anyone. Even if she did in fact kill that eternal prisoner in the dungeons. But the elite tracker of the Volturi was never prepared for the sight his eyes would come upon.  
  
He ran after her. That much he could remember clearly. He ran after her tracks, jumping off the cliff and following the bright white glow her mind was leaving behind as she coursed through the trees but long before he was able to reach the human girl, her desperate screams of salvation reached his heightened sense of hearing long before he actually saw her. And it was utterly horrifying. The desperate howls the girl was letting out were nothing like Demetri had ever heard in his entire mortal and immortal life and was sure to dissolve his soul if he still had any left inside of him. Without realizing it, he was already screaming her name and rushing inside the rich flora as fast as he could, trying to get to her and bring her to safety, to his own safe hands once again. Alas, when he did find her, the sight that was presented in front of the man’s eyes could surely kill any faint-hearted soul.  
  
There was blood everywhere. On the sturdy trunks of the trees, staining the pure white snow in large drops of ruby red liquid, making everything reek of a strong vanilla aroma which was able to blind even the most controlled vampire’s senses. It was a scene out of the darkest nightmare; _____ was lying on the cold hard ground, all spots of blood coming straight from her as she was thrusting and fighting to get as far away from the female vampire who was currently sucking her blood dry from a huge bite on her neck, while the girl had raised her hand in the air in a desperate attempt to draw the attention of rescuers while she was screaming as hard as she could. Or rather, she _was _screaming. Because the moment Demetri stepped foot inside the small clearing, the girl’s hand fell limp beside her and her screams came to a stop. She had already lost too much blood and was now in the brick of death if no one intervened. From the point he was standing, Demetri was able to see everything. See her hand falling loosely beside her, see her lips seizing to scream, see her face falling on an emotionless stare. See all light go out from her eyes, turning them into two bottomless (e/c) lakes with no soul burning behind them.  
  
And that was what ticked the vampire off.  
  
Before he was even able to realize, a hellish growl of pure insanity left his lips, with his teeth being bared like a true wolf’s as he lunged against the female vampire without so much as a second thought. All that mattered to him right now was to stop her from doing any further harm to you, from doing so much as to lay a single finger on you. It had been quite a while since the last time he fell like this into a demented fit of utter rage and by the time he was done, the female vampire had turned in such small pieces, that he didn’t even have to burn her. So leaving everything else aside, he rushed to your aid, calling your name again and again to keep you conscious, to keep you alive. As the man looked inside your eyes though, all world was lost around him when all he saw were two empty, soulless orbs. For the very first time since forever, Demetri felt utterly scared. He felt utterly horrified.  
  
Was he too late?  
  
Did he lose you?  
  
Wait, why did he care?  
  
It was that very last question that pestered him along with the torturous scenes of your discovery. Surely they had managed to bring you back to Voltera and you had recovered quite fast if he was allowed to say, but why did he care about your well-being? He had literally caught himself feeling glad that he was training you all day long in order to help you find a way of fighting back creatures like him and being around you and your witty remarks only made his day all too interesting, but why on Aro’s name did he care if you survived or not? You were a mere human. Surely, a really hot and interesting human that appeared to be more from what met the eye, but what made you different from all the others? Felix said that it was your exceptional abilities to resist Demetri’s flirtation tactics as well as your witty remarks that challenged the tracker vampire, but Demetri hadn’t shared his true thoughts with his friend like he did in the past.  
  
He hadn’t shared the fact that he was repeating the scene from the forest all day long inside his head. He hadn’t shared that the sound of your voice and the smell of your blood followed him everywhere he went from the very first time the vampire met you, yet only now realized. He hadn’t shared the fact that your image had slowly taken over his mind, appearing whenever the man was alone and free to let his thoughts roam around mindlessly. He hadn’t shared the feelings that arose inside of him every time you were together: when you dared to do as much as touch him, when he tackled you and both of you ended up on the mat with him on top of you, the way your chest heaved every time you breathed in and out, the way your body moved when you went around the room, the dazzling effect your arrogant but bittersweet smile had on him and the way your lips moved when you spoke. Demetri had met a lot of women in his immortal days, both human and vampire, but no one had such an effect on him like you did. And that only fascinated him more. He wanted to know you, he wanted to get to know you from the inside out, learn what made you smile, what made you sad, what extracted any other emotion other than anger. What made you blush that deep shade of red, only that he was fascinated to see that there were some things that made that particular color flash over your cheeks.  
  
Like both of your bodies close proximity. Since when that happened, there was a heavy cloud of electricity coursing through both of your bodies. Demetri knew it and from the way you blushed every time, you seemed to know it too. Still, he wanted to learn what else he could do to get under your skin, to make you drop your resistances and reveal yourself to him as you truly were. Yet in the mere thought that he could lose you, his thoughts were being set ablaze and the need to punch a wall was stronger than ever.  
  
‘Someone seems to be deep in thought.’ An all too familiar voice chuckled, drawing Demetri’s attention.  
  
Turning, the man saw none other than Heidi leaning against a wall with the shadows falling over her curvy form. The female was smiling widely and seductively to the man, her bright red eyes shining like two nightmarish moons under the shadows yet her ability to draw people in was all-too-familiar to the flirtatious man who only smiled in return.  
  
‘It happens sometimes Heidi.’ He confessed, taking a small, calculated step towards the beautiful woman ‘And what brings you here?’  
  
‘I was just looking for you.’ The female purred in return and reaching out from the shadows, caressed Demetri’s cheek tenderly ‘We have quite a bit to indulge ourselves to one another.’  
  
From the whole Volturi clan and the Guard as well, only Demetri and Heidi could be considered as the ‘succubus and incubus’ of their kind. Both of them did not have the slightest problem with sharing their nights with both vampires and humans alike and their abnormal beauty could help them go a long way, thus earning the attention of the ones they desired. Felix always seemed to have fun bringing that up at random times and tease Demetri, but the man knew that his friend would rather find his own mate than play with many others until he did. Yet, it was only natural for Demetri and Heidi to spend some ‘time’ together as well. The man knew that the seductive woman always had a soft spot for him for the very first time the two of them met and in various cases she used her ability on him to draw him closer. Still, even if Heidi had clearly stated that she wanted something more from him, Demetri hadn’t shared her feelings. This did not stop them from sharing their time when there was nothing better to do and from what Demetri picked out from the woman’s tone, she wanted that once again.  
  
For a strange reason though, the tingling feeling of her unconscious powers that were being emitted from her body was not clouding his vision as much as it did in the past. Strange. He could hardly feel it trying to draw him in.  
  
‘It appears that both of us had been busy lately.’ The man commented and allowed the woman to pull him into the shadows and against her while smiling seductively at her.  
  
‘Can’t agree more.’ Heidi commented indifferently ‘I happened to come across the human toy they brought; too much fuss for nothing if you ask me. She’s not even pretty..’ She said and leaned in to plant a small kiss on the base of Demetri’s neck.  
  
‘You don’t like her?’ the man asked, feeling something bubble inside of him as the words reverberated inside his mind..Was there really a need for Heidi to keep both her hands? Maybe he could cut some? What the hell was he thinking?  
  
‘No. Why, you do?’ Heidi was now reaching for parts that were off-limits for the majority of people and Demetri’s thoughts went almost numb under her touch; it was her ability that took effect after a while and honestly, he didn’t want to do anything to stop it. Maybe some hours of not thinking about _____ would benefit him.  
  
‘Of course not. What would I like in a mere human?’ he confessed and his lips met with Heidi’s full own, drowning the both of them into a delirious kiss of pure lust.  
  
The woman chuckled inside the kiss and the moment Demetri’s tongue slipped inside her mouth, she sighed in happiness, purring like a well-fed cat. If it was her ability to draw people in or Demetri’s need to stop thinking for once in his whole existence, the man knew not, but before he was even able to realize, he was already losing control. With a sharp move, he shoves Heidi against the wall, the very same time that his hands roam on her waist and thighs, reaching for her knees and grabbing them hard, he raised her legs to tangle behind his waist. Heidi sighed loudly and her full lips came in hard contact with his neck the moment her teeth sank inside his marble-like skin in a teasing tone, making Demetri grunt and push her against the wall once again.  
  
And it was exactly what the vampire wanted at the moment. His thoughts were slowly but surely going out like candles in the strong wind and along with them went the images of your own self that tortured him for the past few days. And he was happy; he was genuinely happy that he could once again get a grip of his own self under the wave of your presence. He would do anything to keep it like that and Heidi’s abilities seemed to serve for that cause. You hadn’t completely disappeared from his mind, but the mist of delirious lust that had began to eat him alive, originating from Heidi’s seductive touch surely did help him to drown away everything. And why should he care in the first place? You were a mere, pathetic little human and he was a mighty vampire that could kill with a single blow and take down armies and armies of men. How on earth did the opinion of a pathetic little girl matter? Who on earth did you think you were?  
  
‘Oh Demetri here you are. Do you know where Gian-‘  
  
A voice pierced through the thick mist of his mind right at that moment. A gentle yet steady voice that was laced with determination even if it was calm at the moment. And it was a voice he seemed to hear all the time these past few days.  
  
Your voice.  
  
Immediately, realization flashed through his mind, bringing him abruptly back in the present time, with the situation in which he was, slapping him across the face: he was just about to pull Heidi’s dress up, as he had pushed her against the wall. The vampire female had her hands and legs wrapped tightly around him. And on the very edge of the small hallway they were standing, there was another form that was looking at them with pure surprise shooting through her in the sight with which she was presented and her heart beat was currently turning into one continuous hum.  
  
It was you who was standing at the very corner of the hallway.  
  
From the words you had spoken and the possibilities which filled Demetri’s weary mind, it was obvious that you were looking for the human secretary who was currently send to fetch some things from the town. Inside the whole delirium, Demetri had failed to hear your steps coming closer which resulted into you turning and catching him and Heidi red-handed. Immediately, your (e/c) orbs had grown as big as two dinner plates and your jaw half opened in awe; you did not know how to react, so for a split second you just stood there, frozen solid and with your heart beating loudly inside your chest. Demetri didn’t know for the very first time how to react; what should he do?  
  
And then the most dreadful thing for the vampire happened.  
  
Right in front of his eyes, your (E/c) orbs lost all fire and spirit that lived within them, becoming nothing more than two lifeless orbs, just like they had done when he found you in the forest. And the need to scream ‘No’ from Demetri’s part as stronger than ever. What on earth had he done?! Don’t lose the light! JUST DON’T LOSE IT! HE’S REALLY SORRY! HE’S SORRY!  
  
‘_______..’ he managed to murmur weakly.  
  
You clenched your jaw, your eyes two bottomless empty pits ‘I see you are occupied. No worries, I will ask Felix. Don’t let me interrupt.’ you said and before the man was able to react, you were already gone, almost running down the rest of the corridor.  
  
‘What was that for?’ the annoyed voice of Heidi reached the man’s ears and once he turned to her –only to see her sullen face- he was immediately disgusted with no one else but himself.  
  
Quickly, he helps her stand down, before turning his back at her, concealing his expression.  
  
‘I am sorry to disappoint you Heidi.’ He said, loudly enough for only the woman to hear ‘But I cannot do this.’


	15. Chapter 13 Dance With The Devils

The warm water in which you had submerged your weary body was calming your nerves.  
  
Resting your head lightly on the water surface among the rich foam, you sighed deeply, inhaling the sweet aroma of pure vanilla coming from the bathtub. It was the very first days that you had finally stopped aching from each inch of your whole existence, your wounds and broken bones finally mended enough to not pain you. It was truly a miracle which you cherished, since the everyday training with Demetri ate away all of your energy and would only burden you more and stop you from learning how to properly defend yourself. The lessons were becoming tougher and tougher yet you had managed to properly repel the man under any situation, no matter how much he tried to get to you. Still, even if he was unable to get to you physically, the image of him and Heidi from a week ago still haunted you for a strange reason, making you feel uneasy around the man. Demetri had tried to explain the situation to you, but the only thing you did was to laugh and tell him that there was no need to; truly, he was his own person and he could do whatever the hell he wanted and the very same went for you and for anyone else. Then why did you feel so angry and disgusted by seeing him with Heidi? Why did you care for all that mattered? Vampires go fooling around all the damn time, how else would eternity pass?  
  
It only took people just five minutes in your company to know that you were a hot-blooded nature, but never was that without a decent reason. So finding yourself being pissed off with something that didn’t involve you at any way was baffling beyond belief. Why did you care that Demetri was fooling around with Heidi? Or with any other female for all that mattered. Gianna had specifically told you that he was a flirt, so it was only natural for you to witness it firsthand since you were with them. So why were you angry? Why were you disappointed? Why was the earth lost under your feet when you saw them? Oh, how many times you had played that scene over and over again inside your head and how many times you had seen yourself walking up to the man and b!tchslapping him across his gorgeous face, it was too many to count. To your luck though, you had acted like a true lady when you saw them and walked away with your head held high; even if you kept being gloomy for the rest of the week. What on earth was wrong with you? And where is dad when you need him? His advice would be of great help right now..  
  
The sound of the doorknob of the bathroom echoed and the door opened, revealing a delighted Gianna.  
  
‘I’m not too late mia cara, am I? I brought you the dress you are going to wear at the ball tonight.’ She beamed, pointing at the midnight blue piece of clothing she was holding in her arms, along with a pair of silver high-heels.  
  
You rolled your eyes ‘Care to explain again what we are going to be doing tonight?’  
  
‘Well’ she began, closing the door behind her and settling the clothes on the side ‘Every year around this time of early spring, the Volturi are always hosting the Palla Primavera, or Spring Ball as you would call it in English. It is a special occasion where people of power and authority from throughout Italy gather inside the Volturi Castle to celebrate the coming of spring and renew their ‘friendships’. In reality, it’s a way for the Volturi to keep their power over the government and many executives under control.’ she explained, helping you out of the water and holding out a warm towel for you to dry off.  
  
‘So the Volturi have their claws spread to the government as well?’ you ask, walking over to the vanity table and gently sitting down, allowing Gianna to start drying your (h/c) locks.  
  
Gianna spared you a serious glance through the mirror ‘If you have lived as long as the Volturi, you are bound to have quite a bit of power gathered in your hands mia bella. The Volturi are using this power both to keep the existence of vampires hidden as well as rule the human world as much as they can from the shadows. Their affiliates reach all the way to the government and Prime Minister. High ranked doctors, lawyers, generals and businessmen that prove themselves to be worthy of the Volturi patronage gather here to celebrate each year and serve the Volturi, in return for riches both you and I can only imagine in our deepest dreams.’  
  
‘And we have to be there? It sounds better to me to curl up in a ball on my bed and read the night away tonight.’ You comment grumpily.  
  
‘Someone isn’t in such a good mood lately.’ Gianna rests her hands gently on your shoulders, watching you lean your head down and look away from her dazzling green eyes ‘I can always hear you out you know.’  
  
‘I know’ you rush to say ‘But it’s not something I want to talk about. Anyway, this is why everyone was all over the place this past week? I swear I saw Felix singing to himself as he was carrying a few boxes and Demetri seemed absentminded lately as well. The whole place is cleaner than before and it’s only now that I really saw how many vampires roam the place.’  
  
The concerned look on Gianna’s face doesn’t leave her features completely, but the woman continues to smile ‘That is why. Thanks to their vampire strength and the fact that they cannot sleep, it helps them prepare everything quite fast.’  
  
‘And there will be humans as well? Do they know?’ you ask.  
  
‘Of course they know. They don’t dare even think about it though, since they know what the consequences will be.’ She says, placing the finishing touches on your hair. She had chosen to curl your (h/c) locks so that they surrounded your face gracefully in a (h/c) waterfall ‘I’m sure you’ll have fun mia cara.’  
  
‘Wait. You are not coming?’ you ask surprised, your stomach sinking inside you as you turned to look at her; you sincerely hoped that even if you had to attend this fiasco, you would have Gianna to keep you company as well.  
  
But the woman shakes her head ‘No, only the Volturi and the Guard are allowed. Either way, I will be pretty busy in the office.’  
  
‘So Voltudoggie and Vamp-Hercules it is then.’ You frown ‘Great.’  
  
Gianna laughs, but wanting to cause her no more troubles, you let her prepare you for the festivities without the slightest comment from your side. Instead, you try to lighten the mood up by asking her about her own family, all at the same time letting her place the clothes Aro had apparently specifically ordered for you. And what they were?  
  
For starters, the dress the Leader of the Volturi chose for you was a long, midnight blue a-line dress. It had a semi-sweetheart, off-shoulder neckline which was adorned with luxurious white diamonds all sewn together with silver thread and from the waist downwards was decorated with many layers of blue tulle, giving the whole [dress](http://www.onenightstand.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/8.jpg) an air of elegance and nobility that was impossible for anyone to resist, matching perfectly with your (s/c) complexion. Silver earrings and a silver bracelet both bejeweled with diamonds completed the whole outfit and the silver shoes you were offered where sandal high-[heels](http://www.shoeperwoman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/silver-sandals.jpg). Everything about your outfit fell on you like an exact match, making you wonder how Aro was able to pick the exact size you wore, but thinking about the overly observant Leader made you rest that thought aside. It wasn’t until Gianna helped you walk over to the large mirror and once your eyes fell on your reflexion, you simply were unable to realize that it was your own self looking back at you.  
  
You would swear that the girl looking steadily upon you was a true noble princess who was brought out of the biggest palace, since the elegance her whole aura, her mesmerizing (e/c) orbs and her beautiful smile emitted, could easily start wars upon the first glance on her. Yes, maybe she wasn’t as extraordinary or inhumanely beautiful as Heidi or Rosalie, but still, her beauty was a more natural one, one that made you believe that true earthly beauty was walking the streets of civilization, reminding both humans and immortals alike that nature was always able to create masterpieces whose lives were nothing but fleeting flames of a small campfire. And if you knew one thing, was that tonight, you were going to shine.  
  
This was your night.  
  
Straightening your back proudly, setting one foot in front of the other, you make your way with your head held high towards the door of your room. The sound of your heels reaches your ears in a rhythmical ‘song’ as each shoe touches the marble pavement, managing to fill your heart with pride and determination as you walk out of your room and make your way towards the grand staircase on your left, knowing that Felix and Demetri were already waiting for you there. Maybe after all these weeks you have spend around them, you had finally started to be able to pick up their presences wherever they were close to you, since the two of them along with Gianna were the only ones actually surrounding your everyday life. Maybe when they would see you like this, the best presentation of your human self, they would see you as something more than a simple fragile human. Because truth be told, you were neither fragile nor simple. You are your own person, with your strong character along with your weak spots and all in all you are a strong individual that had the courage to step up for her friends, the most noble thing there is on a being. You are strong, you are kind, you are important. You are not a victim neither to the vampires which held you captive nor to destiny –the one that had played this sick joke to you- itself. If they thought you had long ago fallen on the ground, they were murderously wrong. And you are standing right here to prove it.  
  
The first one to set his burgundy eyes upon you as you reached the stairs, was none other than Vamp-Hercules.  
  
Felix turned to look at you exactly when he probably heard your footsteps coming and the moment his eyes fell on you, you could have sworn they became as big as two dinner plates. He was wearing a charcoal gray tuxedo with a matching bow-tie that matched perfectly with his bright red eyes and deep brown hair, and a white button-down shirt. The man really appeared less threatening for the first time since you had met him and honestly reminded you of a character straight out of a 50s movie; a gangster or a henchman most probably. You took your very first step in descending the grand staircase, watching as the man’s eyes traveled up and down your small form as a huge, devious grin formed in his lips and he winked at you. Right beside him, was none other than Demetri of course, who had his back turned to you and yelling some random orders at some servants in the back, failing to notice his comrade’s elbow that was elbowing his sides as Felix tried to draw his attention.  
  
Your eyes instinctively narrowed on the man, wanting to burn his back away with your glare alone, yet you never failed to notice as Felix barked something at him, finally drawing his attention. The surprised man turned to his comrade who only pointed at you with his head and then a pair of luxuriously deep wine-red eyes fell upon you.  
  
And your breath was taken away once again, just like the very first time you had set your eyes upon the breathtaking vampire. It was as if you were looking upon him for the first time all over again.  
  
For this special occasion, the man had chosen nothing more and nothing less than an elegant, high-fashioned black tuxedo. The black fabric fell upon his muscular yet lean figure, high-lighting his body outline; like his sturdy hands, broad shoulders and thin waist while all at the same time making his paper-white complexion seem both natural and majestic. He had chosen to match the tuxedo with a white shirt and a black silk tie. Simple and elegant. This time, Demetri had abandoned his half-spiked hair by bringing them all up, allowing you a full view to his angelic face and deep red eyes which shone like true rubies under the half-light of the grand corridor. It was at that very moment in which you realized how true Greek gods must look like; the extreme epitome of Beauty itself, with alabaster skin, masculine and graceful features and an overall appearance that could only be found in High-Heavens. Because the man who was standing at the end of the staircase which you walked on, was surely one of two things: either a true angel who was cast out of Heaven itself for his sinful beauty, or a hellish demon send to devour the souls of the ones he attracts. And as Demetri looked upon you, you were vaguely aware that the latter must be the case. Not that it mattered….at all…  
  
Yet, you were not the only one to be surprised tonight.  
  
Demetri’s red orbs traveled from your top to your bottom before the mouth of the gorgeous man opens slightly in awe, as he takes in your sight before returning to gaze deep into your eyes, clearly mesmerized and entranced. It made a strange feeling arise deep inside your stomach and you felt your human heart pound like a drum inside your chest. He was caught by surprise; you managed to surprise the calm and collected Casanova and it felt rather good. To see him stupefied just like what he did to you every single time, felt good.  
  
As you near the end of the staircase, Demetri is quick to regain his composure, walking up and with a court nod, he offers you his hand to help you, just like a true gentleman. You hesitate for a second; your thoughts going out like candles in the wind and the only thing you hear is your own heartbeat as you gaze deep into his eyes, drawn like a butterfly to the dangerous but breathtaking fire…  
  
With a graceful move, you take his hand, warm skin coming in contact with a frozen, icy one and you step down the final step, next to the man who offers you an arrogant smile.  
  
‘You truly look breathtaking tonight ______. Your human beauty can easily rival a vampire one.’ He whispers loudly enough for only you to hear.  
  
If it was any other instance, you would have blushed the deepest shade of red there is in existence, but as Demetri says these words, the image of him and Heidi flashes through your mind, making your stomach drop.  
  
‘Cut the sweet-talk and let’s get this over with.’ You throw at him coldly.  
  
Demetri’s expression changes almost immediately to a surprised one, his usually emotionless mask falling and offering you a full view to his surprised and baffled face; still, you only turn your back at him and start walking, feeling his piercing gaze burning your back away, yet both him and Felix follow you obediently, without the slightest comment.  
  
The grand castle that surrounded you was dressed in its most glorious of decorations. Crystal chandeliers were hanging from the tall ceiling, while luxurious carpets that must surely cost a fortune covered each inch of the floor, with various statues, majestic porcelain vases and tables filled with decorations spread until the eye could see all around you, making you feel like you were walking inside a true palace; everything shone luxuriously around you and the various people that came and go on the corridors, rushing to the inner gardens were the whole ball would take place or even servants rushing to whatever chore they had to take care of, made the place look lively and filled with cheerful voices. The gloominess and emptiness of the previous weeks was long gone and you were left to wonder how such a beautiful place was left unattended. It was a true pity.  
  
Still, this time you followed the ones walking towards the ballroom. Turning on your heels as carefully as you could, you start descending the stairs once again, careful not to step on your dress and fall over; to be honest with yourself, you were the least comfortable wearing high-heels and with each step you took you were afraid that the ground would surely come towards you at some point, but asking the arrogant and infuriating vampire for help was surely out of the question. So, deploying all of your self-control and concentration, you keep walking with your head held up proudly. Whenever Embry used to see you on high-heels, he would always laugh and point out that you walked like a giraffe on drugs, but tonight you were doing your best to look as normal as you could. This was the night in which you would prove that humans were just as important as vampires and they too had their chance to shine in the spotlight.  
  
Alas, the very next step that was on your way had a really different opinion about things.  
  
The moment you attempted to correctly step on it, your ankle turns and you would have surely fallen down the rest of the stairs, if a sturdy iron grip hadn’t grabbed you right on time, bringing you back to balance.  
  
‘If you are having trouble walking, you can ask for help; no one is going to deny it to you.’ Demetri’s voice gently whispers in your ear, as the hand of the man twists around your waist, keeping you firmly against him and helping you stand up without the fear of falling.  
  
‘If you believe that I need help, you are sadly mistaken Voltudoggie. I can walk on my own!’ you exclaim and attempt to release yourself from his grip, the thought of his hands that were touching you right now, touching Heidi in the past, bringing you nothing but anger, but only in vain.  
  
‘Just walk ______.’ He cooed and taking your left hand in his, you continued your way to the gardens.  
  
As further inside as you walked towards the ballroom, the more people you were meeting with along the way. People of various ages, both vampire and humans alike, were standing along the corridors or walking in the same direction as you; many of them turned to gaze upon your direction, looking curiously as a mere human was being escorted by two of the high-ranking members of the Volturi Guard. It was surely a strange occurrence for them and even if you tried to keep your pokerface on, you couldn’t help the uneasy feeling that rose inside your heart, quickening your heartbeat. Demetri must have heard it too, since his grip around your waist tightened ever-so-softly as he led you on, a small gesture that served to calm your nerves in a strange way. But all this finally seemed trivial when you reached the grand door of the ballroom and walked inside.  
  
Words would never be enough to describe the beauty with which you were presented. The [room](http://sumfinity.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Bucharest-Palace-of-the-Parliament-Ballroom.jpg) was surely fit for true and everlasting royalty; it was in a majestic neoclassical architecture who only served to make you wander if places like this still exist on this planet and not in some kind of historical movie, with an enormous glass ceiling that had a grand view to the moonlight sky of Voltera, allowing the rich moonlight to reach down to the cold, marble floor, yet the six grand chandeliers were more than enough to throw their eerie light all around, illuminating the people who danced gracefully right in the middle of the vast dance floor. Every little surface was painted with golden decorations, matching perfectly with the red, velvet curtains that hanged beside the windows. People filled the vast room, some of them already dancing and others simply walking or standing around socializing happily with one another. And right across from the door, in the head of the room was the three Volturi Leaders themselves; Aro, Markus and even Caius, surrounded by their guards and with Aro talking around with some of the guests. Markus seemed to withdraw in his corner as usual, throwing bored gazes over the large crowd, while Caius seemed more pissed off than ever, glaring at literally everyone and with Jane by his side.  
  
Demetri leads you through the sea of people towards the three leaders and along the way many heads turn to gaze at you, yet you don’t fail to notice that among the crowd was none other than Heidi, with her short, silver and black [dress](http://g03.a.alicdn.com/kf/HTB11hdfIXXXXXcRXpXXq6xXFXXXB/Free-Shipping-2015-Custom-Made-Beaded-Short-Cocktail-Dresses-Sweetheart-Black-Tull-Ball-Gown-Prom-Party.jpg) and her silver [shoes](http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTAwMFgxMDAw/z/ZmYAAOxyE3pSF2j2/%24\(KGrHqR,!qYFIOEv6cw!BSF2j1ufdQ~~60_35.JPG) looking more stunning than ever, even if the sullen look she had acquired didn’t fit her heavenly-like characteristics at all.  
  
_ Well f*ck you too b!tch_, you thought to yourself glaring back at her with pride.  
  
_ ‘________, I am so happy you could finally join us!’ an ecstatic voice draws your attention and Aro is quick to take your hand gently in his, smiling and planting a light kiss on it, never breaking eye contact with your (E/c) orbs. It was a little bit weird for you to have to share your memories with the man every single time you saw him, but it was a necessary procedure. Still, you found it weird that he had made no comments about your failed attempt to run away. Was he planning anything?  
  
You offer him a cautious smile ‘I cannot deny that I am not used to this kind of venues, so I ask for your forgiveness Aro if I seem out of place; something as grand as this is surely overwhelming for someone like me.’ You say and gently take your hand back.  
  
The man’s red eyes glow with excitement and he lets out a small giggle ‘Ah, but you look rather ravishing tonight my dear; extraordinary for a simple human if you ask me. I can assure you that if you choose immortality in the future, it is going to fit you rather well.’  
  
In his words, Demetri and Felix chuckle from right beside you, but you only clench your jaw tightly ‘Is there anything more Aro?’  
  
Aro’s eyes lit up once again and he flashed you a big smile ‘Ahhh, thank you so much for reminding me dear.’ he says and points at two men that were approaching you, one being a man around sixty years of age, with white hair and blue eyes and the other one being a younger man, probably around Demetri’s age.  
  
‘I would like you to meet two dear friends of mine’ Aro continued as the two men stopped in front of you ‘These are Dominic and his son Luce Martelo; both of them are two of the most important doctors in Italy.’  
  
‘They are the ones that cared for the team of doctors Aro arranged for you.’ Demetri explained discretely in your ear.  
  
Dominic was, as your father would say, obviously a man of power and riches. From his whole aura and white tuxedo, you could say that he was surely used to things like these and from the way he talked to Aro –with respect nonetheless- it was obvious that both of them knew each other rather well. As for his son [Luce](http://resize-elle.ladmedia.fr/r/279,400,ffffff,forcey,center-middle/img/var/plain_site/storage/images/beaute/news-beaute/parfums/gaspard-ulliel-fier-de-representer-chanel-2885572/52474866-2-fre-FR/Gaspard-Ulliel-Fier-de-representer-Chanel.jpg), the resemblance with what his father must have looked like when he was younger was uncanny; he had the brightest blue eyes you had ever seen, matched with a square and strong jaw line that was graced with some bristles over his upper lip and on his jaw line. He was standing at the proud height of 6’ 4’, just an inch taller than Demetri, with sturdy, broad shoulders and the moment his eyes fell on you, he smiled widely.  
  
‘Aro failed to inform us that we were going to provide doctors for such a beautiful lady such as yourself. I really do hope they were of no use though.’ Luce commented kindly, with his deep voice uttering English with just a faint tint of accent.  
  
‘Unfortunately, they were needed.’ Before you had the chance to respond to Luce, Demetri had spoken up from right beside you and beat you to it, his whole aura giving off a vibe you couldn’t quite understand.  
  
‘Dear kitty right here got injured in one of our missions. Nothing but a light scratch.’ Felix laughed but you just glared at him before returning to smile to Luce.  
  
‘It was really nice of you to send the doctors. They really did save my life and I owe it to you and your father.’ You smile even brighter ‘You seem rather young to be a doctor, are you not?’  
  
Maybe it was your imagination, but you could swear Demetri tightened his grip around your waist ever-so-slightly and the teasing vibe that was previously being emitted by the man, had now completely disappeared.  
  
Luce smiled back and his eyes literally gleamed ‘I am barely twenty four, but I have already finished my doctor’s degree. I was one of the lucky ones to reach the degree early and work along with my father. But you look young yourself, if I am allowed to say. How come you came to Italy, since your accent reminds me of Americans?’  
  
Your flirting mode was on ‘Well, I was summoned by the Volturi from Forks, Washington, to help them out with a few things.’ You chuckle and wink at him ‘Would you have guessed that I am only seventeen?’  
  
Now Demetri was surely tightening his grip on your waist, something that was more pointed out when Luce blushed faintly as you winked at him and his blue eyes became as big as two dinner plates.  
  
‘You are that young and already so beautiful? I would have never guessed! And you must be quite valuable for the Volturi to bring you all the way here.’ He cleverly observed.  
  
‘Well-‘  
  
‘I think it’s about time we let the gentlemen talk about business.’ Demetri intervened calmly, interrupting you and gently pushing you towards the opposite direction as he turned to offer an arrogant smile to Luce ‘If you will excuse us mister Martelo.’  
  
‘It would be a pleasure to talk with you again mister Martelo.’ You offered him a smile as you walked away.  
  
‘Please, just call me Luce.’ The man yelled behind you and you smiled once again, before bringing your head in the front again and frowning.  
  
Demetri’s grip around your waist and Felix’s enormous existence allowed the two vampires to lead you towards the shadows and away from the dance floor without the slightest complain from your part or even the chance to get away from them. It was as if they were leading you on like lions that have cornered their prey and even if Felix’s smile was wide, you couldn’t think past the fact that Demetri’s hand was turned into an iron, immovable wall. When they made sure you were all out of the spotlight, Demetri let go of you and Felix grabbed a glass of champagne from a passing waiter, offering it to you with a big, devious smile.  
  
‘Seems like our little kitten is doing just great tonight.’ He chuckled deeply, giving you the drink.  
  
‘And she already has people taking a liking at her; impressive.’ Demetri commented, his gaze looking past the various heads and focusing where you believed Luce was standing, but instead of following his gaze, you simply shrug and take a small sip of the fizzy drink.  
  
‘Believe it or not, I can be quite lovely when I want to; it’s when I’m around you lot that I have no intention of being that.’ You comment and throwing your head back, you down the rest of the sweet liquid in one go ‘I can even flirt like a decent human being.’  
  
When you return your gaze at them, it was clearer than the moonlit sky that Demetri didn’t share Felix’s amazement when he saw you downing the drink. Instead, the gorgeous vampire’s eyes had turned coal black and there was not a single tint of anything other than seriousness and severity resting inside of them. He was clearly not amused by either your actions or your words, but frankly, you couldn’t care less about him. As Demetri opens his mouth to say something, your gaze wanders over the people dancing and you catch a certain pair of blue eyes looking at you from the distance, yet you avert your gaze almost immediately, feeling a bit uneasy.  
  
‘Will you refrain from drinking like this tonight?’ Demetri throws at you, his dark glare meeting with your bright (e/c) eyes.  
  
You glare at him unamused, grabbing another drink from a passing waiter ‘I will do whatever the f*ck I want. Who the hell are you to tell me what to do?’ Demetri’s lips tighten into a thin line, but you have already averted your gaze to Felix, who is enthusiastically looking at you and Demetri sequentially ‘Anyways, Luce was just being nice to probably the only human he knows to be in the Volturi Guard; and admit it Felix, even if I am not a full-fledged member, you wouldn’t find it funny in the least if he was insulting towards me.’  
  
Felix’s red eyes fix on you and he sighs ‘Not funny in the least. Only we can insult you kitty.’ He laughs and you frown.  
  
‘Still’ Demetri speaks up but you chose to drink a bit instead of looking at him ‘He seems to be looking at you from the moment we withdrew.’  
  
There was a faint hint of annoyance lying inside the tone of his voice as he uttered these words, something that made you look up at him only to see that his head was averted towards where Luce was standing. Following his gaze, you indeed see the man offering you an excited grin from all across the room and you can’t help but feel a faint wave of heat resting under your cheeks and flaming your face. Still, not wanting to seem weird to the kind man, you smile a little bit in return only to be caught red-handed by Demetri whose already dark eyes turn into two black lakes. If this wasn’t awkward at all; why the hell did he get mad for? Wasn’t he the one to be fooling around with Heidi? Not that you care in the least.  
  
You take another sip from your drink. Demetri had no right to be mad in the least.  
  
‘He is cute though.’ You comment and shrug indifferently.  
  
‘This is disappointing to hear.’ Demetri chuckles and rests his hand on your waist once again.  
  
‘Nobody asked you.’ You retaliate but right then you feel his hand turn into an iron vise at the very same time that you hear footsteps approaching you and a cheerful voice sounding louder than the music.  
  
‘Enjoying the music _____?’  
  
Looking up, your (e/c) eyes fall into the bright blue eyes of none other than Luce, who had made his way through the crowd of people and eventually stood in front of you, giving you a bright smile that must surely make many girls weak in the knees, since the man appeared stunning under the mid-light of the chandeliers. His brown hair looked messy and he was holding a half-empty glass on his hand, which he rested on the side only to return and offer his now free hand to you, making a small bow and smiling at you.  
  
‘Would you like to dance?’ he exclaimed, making your heart pick up its pace and a shy smile to grace your lips.  
  
You were going to decline; it was all too good and fancy for you, but you were not going to dance the night away with a complete stranger that sincerely seemed more dazzling than a human was allowed to be. But notice what you said: you _were_ going to decline. Past tense. Since right when Luce offered to dance with you, Demetri turned into a complete, immovable statue next to you and his grip tightened around your waist in an extremely weird and unfathomable way which you did not like at all. His once light aura had turned into a dark, ominous cloud of pure malice in mere seconds and you were positive that if you could, you would have taken a few steps away from the man’s dangerous aura, which was both threatening and unjustifiable. What the hell was his problem? You were not going to dance with Luce, until Demetri’s demeanor changed to the worse and in response, the image of him and Heidi hooking up in a dark corner inside the castle flashed inside your mind like wildfire. To hell with him, you would do whatever the hell you wanted. And right now, the only thing you wanted from your life was to dance with Luce.  
  
‘Of course!’ you reply, a little bit happier than you wanted, surprising both Demetri and Felix, who turned to look at you, one with surprise and the other with doubt, like he never expected you to accept in the first place.  
  
Under their stupefied stares, you give Luce your hand and follow him towards the dance floor, making your way among the large crowd of people. The music is suddenly engulfing your small form like a hungry demon and the moment both you and Luce stand in the very middle of the dance floor, you can literally feel both vampire and human eyes alike like heavy weights against your skin. Being in the spotlight was surely not your thing, so standing right across from Luce, you try to act as if you weren’t about to pass out. On the contrary, the man gives you what would surely be a dazzling smile if you weren’t absolutely terrified. The music picks up at a happier tone and both of you bow to each other before raising your right hands, bringing it among the two of you and moving in a circle to the tune. You change to the left hand; you smile at Luce knowing that Demetri’s eyes were on you; you repeat the same process with both hands, until you rest your left hand on his shoulder, he takes your right in his and rests his other hand on your waist and both of you start dancing to the charming song that was both pleasant and funny.  
  
‘To tell you the truth, I was a bit hesitant to ask you to dance with me.’ Luce says as he swings you gently on the tune, with you literally struggling under your dress not to stumble upon your very own feet and he looking deep into your eyes; yet not in the same way Demetri did.  
  
In response, you give him a shy smile ‘It was a pleasant surprise for me as well. I’m not that experienced with dancing.’ And the knot which was your stomach right now could serve as a certain proof; you were beyond yourself with uneasiness.  
  
Luce chuckles ‘I should ask Aro for permission to see you more often. If, of course, is what you want as well.’  
  
He makes you take a turn and you never fail to get a glimpse of Demetri’s black eyes in the process ‘It doesn’t sound like a bad idea; if you ask nicely, I don’t believe Aro would deny it.’ you lie, smiling arrogantly as you felt the vampire’s eyes on you. To taunt him even more, you lean and whisper on Luce’s ear ‘Maybe we would have fun; who knows?’  
  
The man simply seems ecstatic ‘I can assure you that we would. I know quite a few places that I am sure you would like. But unfortunately, if we do go out together, I am afraid your two friends can’t join us.’ He comments and you smile.  
  
‘They will not be coming, I can assure you.’  
  
And with that, the man started talking away about all the places you would love to see, but your brain was out from the very first sentences; all that you wanted right now was to make it seem like you had really good fun, just to get on the gorgeous vampire’s nerves. Not that you cared in the least what he thought, but a good payback was in order every now and then. And payback you served for yourself, leaning on Luce on purpose, smiling and whispering in his ear like you were totally engulfed in the conversation you had, when in reality, you only nodded and added a few words when it was needed. Demetri’s eyes burned your back away and you enjoyed every minute of it, until the song came to an end.  
  
‘That was awesome!’ you laugh, clapping along with the rest of the people to honor the orchestra.  
  
‘Shall we dance again?’ Luce suggested, but as you opened your mouth to respond, an all-too-familiar voice responded to the man’s question in your ear.  
  
‘My turn now.’  
  
Air was knocked out of your lungs in a mere moment; almost as fast as the soft breath fell on your ear, a violent shiver shot down your spine, electrifying your every fiber and reaching deep down inside your heart. Earth was momentarily lost under your feet and you were no longer standing in the middle of the crowded room anymore; no, you were all alone with the man standing an inch behind you and the electric current that was resonating between your bodies was as numbing as it was evident. Turning, you saw none other than the Volturi elite tracker standing right beside you, offering you an arrogant and sly smirk. Under the mid-light, he appeared even more breathtaking with his sand blonde hair messily pulled up and his now ruby red eyes reflecting the faint rays of light and shining like two true gems. You had never even realized that he crossed the whole room to come to you and now that you were coming face to face with him, a rich blush graced your cheeks. Taking advantage of your silence –due to the stupefying effect his sudden appearance had- he grabs you gently in his hands, ignoring the other man that retreated calmly to the side, giving the both of you some space; not that you noticed his departure in the least. Your (e/c) orbs were currently being drowned along with your own mind inside the red lakes of Demetri’s eyes.  
  
‘I could see you struggling while dancing all the way to the other side of the room.’ He jokes, passing his nimble hands on your waist and pulling you closer against his sturdy chest. Thank God your blush was covered by the faint light.  
  
‘Don’t know what you are talking about; I was doing just fine.’ You retaliate.  
  
He gives you another arrogant smile ‘Keep telling yourself that.’  
  
‘I had fun Demetri, even if I wasn’t that good in dancing.’ You snap at him as you rest one hand on his shoulder and place the other one inside his open palm, as the orchestra picked up another tune.  
  
‘The trick in learning to dance is to trust your partner to lead you. Luce failed, but I will not.’ He leaned in and whispered in your ear, his cold breath falling on your skin and chilling you to the core.  
  
‘We’ll see about that.’ You throw back at him stubbornly.  
  
When the orchestra starts playing once again, it was the hauntingly mesmerizing [sound](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvIKwiNS_U8) of a piano that filled the vast room and all the people inside seemed t grow silent, both vampires and humans alike; to be honest with yourself, you didn’t actually know if it was because the people stood still, mesmerized by the heavenly sound or it was actually your own mind which was currently surrendering itself completely to Demetri’s haunting aura. The man gently passed his hand around your waist, his movements clearly extremely careful as if he was cautious not to snap you in half with the first careless movement. But right then, the man pulled you against him roughly, your small frame colliding against his sturdy chest, trapping you in such way that was literally impossible for you to escape; and his sly, huge smile only served to prove that it was a deliberate movement. Unfortunately though, for the very first time since you were trapped in this golden cage, you had no need to throw any mean comments at him; right now you had completely forgotten all about who you were, where were you, about Heidi and Luce and pretty much anyone else. Right now all that existed in this world was him, with his sly smirk, ruby red eyes and the rich yet dazzling aroma of citronella, lilac and summer rain being emitted from very breathtaking fiber in Demetri’s existence. It made your heart skip a beat and your mind wonder why did you fail to register this divine smell in the past; you almost found yourself leaning towards him and taking a deep breath of the sweet yet fresh aroma.  
  
When Demetri spoke, it was as if all earth stood still.  
  
‘Just trust me ______.’  
  
You blinked slowly, mesmerized by the man before you ’Alright.’  
  
Once the singer’s voice floods everything, Demetri starts to dance and all at the same time lead you on rather skillfully if you were allowed to say; it seemed a whole lot easier than before and you were able to let go of your fear about taking a wrong step or even stepping on him. The movements seemed so gentle yet skillful all at the same time so before you even knew it, you were dancing the night away with the most gorgeous man in existence, the one that was ordered to keep you safe, train you and tease you whenever he had the chance. Step back, step to the right side and then step forwards before both of you turned, following the circular way in which all the other couples danced. Even without looking straight into the man’s face, you already knew he was smiling, pleased with himself. You sincerely wanted –no, screamed- for yourself to roll your eyes or even throw a witty remark, but your brain found your body so numbed and consumed by the man, it was truly impossible for you to do anything else but smile. As the man released his grip on your waist, only to allow you to make an under arm turn, you never managed to stop yourself from offering Demetri the very first genuinely bright smile which simply erupted from your racing heart; the easy-as-breathing dance, the mesmerizing lyrics of the song and each beat your electrified heart made, all helped you to lower your defenses for just a fragment of a second.  
  
And it was more than enough.  
  
Demetri’s eyes grew wide open from the sheer surprise and his luxurious lips half opened as he took in the spectacle of you smiling truly. It knocked earth under the vampire’s feet, something he had never experienced before. You were the most mesmerizing human in existence and what wouldn’t he give to indulge himself in you.  
  
When the song reached its end and everyone applauded, you couldn’t think of a better moment in your whole life. Not even when the next one started. Not even when you counted seven songs which you danced with Demetri. Not even then. After a while, and when it became obvious that you had grown a bit tired from all the dancing –especially after a fast dance- you allowed Demetri to gently take your hand in his cold own and passing through the crowd, to lead you both towards where you stood before. Felix was already standing there as before, a huge grin spread across his face but the warning glare Demetri must have threw at him completely shushed the tall male, even if it didn’t wipe away his grin completely. Demetri stood right beside you, his shoulder brushing against yours, before he gently allowed his hand to fall on your waist and rest there; you wanted to take a step forward and avoid it, but you didn’t.  
  
‘Getting better and better with dancing I see.’ Vamp-Hercules teased you in a good-hearted manner and in response you chuckled, taking the glass of champagne Demetri gently gave you.  
  
‘She will be even better in no time.’ The blonde man commented, his eyes like liquid rubies looking deep inside your (e/c) own and you were under the faint impression that his grip tightened a bit.  
  
‘Who told you we were going to continue the lessons?’ you retaliate, arcing your eyebrow in question and keeping a smile concealed inside of you as both Demetri and Felix laughed, with the latter proceeding to hit his comrade happily in his back.  
  
‘You tired the lady already Demetri. I think you are losing your touch.’ He laughed.  
  
‘I am not losing anything Felix; on the contrary, I am gaining.’ He winked at you evilly but you only rolled your eyes.  
  
‘And you _____ are so young to be tired already. What are you like 500 years old?’ Felix continued, turning his attention to you.  
  
‘I’ll have you know that I am turning 18 on (your birthday). So, you are the grandpa in here.’ You retaliate ‘You might look like thirty years old, but I am guessing you both of you were here when the world was created, weren’t you?’ you throw at them teasingly, taking a small sip of your cold drink and watching them as they exchanged clearly amused gazes.  
  
‘We are old, but not that much.’ Demetri disagreed and by now, you could clearly feel his icy cold touch even under your dress…  
  
‘I’ Felix spoke up ‘Was born in the Principality of Moldavia around 1673 and I was turned by Aro himself when I was only twenty nine years old. To put it in plain words, I am around 343 years of age.’  
  
In the sound of the man’s words, your eyes open wide with surprise and your lips half open, realizing that he was probably twenty times older than you are, something which your brain was not ready to take in at the moment and the haziness from all the drinks didn’t help at all, yet it was when Demetri continued on that you completely lost your mind.  
  
‘I was born in Athens, Greece, around the time the Byzantine Empire had taken over my home country.’ He smiles down to you, seeing your whole face grow pale as you where in the middle of drinking a bit of champagne ‘If I remember correctly, it must have been around 916 AD the time of my birth and I was changed by Amun when I was only 26 years of age.’  
  
That was it. The realization of Demetri’s true age was what made you choke on your drink. With your lungs burning you for air, your head leaned forward and you started to cough loudly, trying desperately to take in a normal breath as Demetri’s grip around your waist only tightened more and the man helped you stand up straight as you coughed, bringing your hand to cover your mouth. After a few moments, you managed to calm down enough to choke/scream out:  
  
‘You are 1.100 years old?!’  
  
Demetri smiles ‘I guess I am.’  
  
‘Holy mother of sh!ts and Jesus Christ!’ you breathe out.  
  
‘Why are you so surprised ______? You have met vampires a lot older than me.’ He whispers gently, enjoying your stupefied glare to the fullest.  
  
‘Well, you are really holding up quite amazingly for your age..’ you blurt out before you had the chance to control yourself.  
  
Demetri’s grin only widens and a dangerous glow passes through his red eyes ‘Wait until I show you what else I am able to do in my age. You will _thoroughly_ enjoy _it_.’  
  
Maybe it was the fact that Demetri leaned in slowly and whispered these words ever-so-softly in your ear. Maybe it was the obviously hidden meaning that was carefully underlined in them. Maybe it as the strange feeling that arose deep down in your stomach, bringing you uneasiness since you had never felt something like this before. Whatever it was, it had a chain reaction with your heart, cheeks and brain. The moment your brain analyzed the words and understood their meaning, it chose to go completely empty and numb, exactly at the same moment your heart started pounding loudly enough inside your chest or every vampire to hear and your cheeks were being set ablaze. It wasn’t the haziness from the drinks, neither the dazzling lights of the room that trapped you in place, but rather the gravity of the words which were spoken so easily. It was strange for a single person to have such an nullifying effect over your body; it was strange that Demetri could easily retract reactions from you as easily as one breathes and it was outraging from your part to be completely unable to sustain yourself and not give him what he wanted. And you did. Every time he touched you, every time his breath was falling on your skin or his sweet aroma blinded your senses, you were just unable to do anything but submit to him, no matter how much your conscience screamed for you not to. He could literally drown you with a single word. And you were unable to do anything about it. You couldn’t help but be devoured by the darkness of his dangerous existence.  
  
Unable to retaliate; rather, you were unable even to think of anything and Demetri did not make matters easier for you when he chuckled in your ear, his cold breath grazing your skin as softy as sin does, before planting a scandalous kiss on your hair and making your heartbeat become one continuous hum. Did he realize what impact his words and actions had on you? Did he really realize what he was doing to you?  
  
Did you?  
  
‘Demetri love, here you are.’  
  
A velvet, smooth and feminine voice broke through your trance and the delirious dream shattered around you as you saw a statuesque female walking past a few humans and towards the three of you, smiling seductively to the vampire beside you.  
  
It was Heidi.  
  
Her dress sparkled vividly under the faint lights of the dance room, the velvet fabric shifting with each glorious step she took, moving naturally along with her perfect body. She was smiling a perfect smile of full lips and her red eyes never strayed from the man standing next to you, not even to look at you or Felix. Alas, her sudden appearance was enough to shatter the trance in which you had fallen and your mind now flooded with the images of her and Demetri kissing each other like there was no tomorrow – or rather trying to suck each other’s brains through their mouths alone.  
  
Your body became instantly stiff as a statue and you took a single step to the side, releasing yourself from Demetri’s touch and distancing yourself enough to raise your protective bubble as you watched the man’s jaw tighten and his gaze wander from you to Heidi and back. He obviously wanted to say something, but he would never really get the chance.  
  
‘I’ve been looking everywhere for you! Come on love, I want to dance!’ she exclaimed, grabbing his hand before Demetri had the chance to stop her and pulling him along with her towards the dancefloor.  
  
‘Heidi wait.’ Demetri spoke up and his gaze turned from the beautiful woman to your ice-cold and stiff self ‘______’  
  
‘Don’t let the lady wait Demetri. Didn’t you hear that she wanted to dance? Have fun!’ you throw at him, smiling the biggest smile you could muster.  
  
Demetri opened his mouth to say something, but before he really got the chance, Heidi was already pulling him on the dancefloor and the crowd surrounded them enough to hide them away from your stare, leaving both you and Felix looking at where they disappeared. Surprisingly, even if you felt a rather strong wave of anger taking over you, pissed off more with yourself than anyone else, an uneasy lump made its way on your throat and as you swallowed it back, tears bubbled in your eyes.  
  
‘Are you sure you are fine with this?’ Felix asked cautiously, his eyes studying your face.  
  
‘Of course I am.’ You say and right before him, you down the rest of your drink in one go.  
  
When you look back at him evenly to reassure him that you didn’t give a single damn about anything, you pinpoint a certain someone standing by the open window a few meters behind the vampire giant and among the shadows, casually drinking his drink. The moment you saw him, you practically admitted that this was your only way out of this, since Felix seemed eager to ask you even more questions which you didn’t want to answer at all. Without sparing a single glance behind you, you walk past Felix and with determined steps you walk towards the man in the back. All those drinks you were having tonight had started to both make you a bit light-headed and cloud your vision because why in absolute hell did you even allow Demetri to get n your head? Had you actually gone mad? Did all those days in purgatory-Voltera finally get to you? You would never be able to relax around here; not when your real place was with Embry back at La Push. Not when your place was among the living human beings.  
  
And right now, you were in such desperate need for some human company where you wouldn’t have to be careful of your every single move. So with that in mind, you feel your mind letting go of the thoughts that this may not be such a good idea at all, especially since you didn’t want to give any mixed messages.  
  
‘Why is someone like you hiding behind everyone and being all alone?’ you speak up and smile.  
  
Luce was apparently deep into thought, his hand lazily wrapped around his drink and his eyes looking somewhere outside the window, and didn’t notice you as you approached him at first, something that felt rather nice- a purely human attribute which you hadn’t seen in a long while. You were so used to being noticed miles before you were actually close to the person you seek, so it was a nice, humane change that actually made you feel comfortable. So when you spoke up, his eyes turned to see who was talking and once he saw it was just you, he greeted you with a big smile as he turned to face you casually.  
  
‘You can say I have been hiding back here to get some peace of mind. What about you?’ he asks, taking a step on the side to allow you to have a view outside the window and onto the moonlit Voltera that spread until the far horizon which the eye could see.  
  
In response, you just shrug and turn your head lightly towards him ‘It was about time for me to run off as well. Too crowded for my liking.’  
  
He nods as if he understood exactly what you said and how you felt; maybe you weren’t the only one around here that wasn’t used to these kinds of gatherings. There were others that felt uncomfortable as well ‘And why did your escort leave you alone?’ his tone had a bittersweet sound, like a man that has accepted defeat. It made your heart grow cold and unwillingly, your lips press together in dismay forming a perfect line.  
  
‘I don’t have an escort and if you mean Demetri, he is a bit occupied at the moment.’ You simply reply, a bit coldly and simply nod to the direction the vampire tracker was dancing with Heidi. You had made sure to turn your back to them, wanting to spare your eyes and thoughts of their spectacle.  
  
Luce seems to be taken aback by your response and furrows his eyebrows in confusion but as his gaze wanders over your head and towards the back, his eyes fill with understanding and the bad kind of surprise when he gets his answer, probably seeing Demetri himself dancing with Heidi among the large crowd. Not that you give a damn. Yet his smile seems to drop into a frown and a dark shadow stains his adorable characteristics, turning him from amused and tired to clearly irritated.  
  
‘I see.’ He says ‘If you ask me, the man’s a complete idiot.’  
  
‘Why?’ you ask curiously, your head turning to meet with the dancing figures of Demetri and Heidi. Yes, curiosity eventually did get the better of you but your brain was once again right, since when you turned and glared at them, a strong pinch of pain shot through your heart and the lump rose once again, especially when Demetri’s face turned and nailed his ruby gaze on you, staring like the was no one else inside the room but you and him. It unnerved you and made you stir uneasily and shyly.  
  
He seemed apologetic. Or at least that was the case until his eyes sifted to Luce and back at you and he simply glared at the man standing beside you, only helping the wave of pure anger rush through your heart like hot lava, energizing you to the fullest and making you want to cover the distance that separated you only to slap him across the face.  
  
‘Let’s take a nice breath of fresh air, shall we?’ you turn to Luce once again, passing your hand on his elbow and gently leading him to the moonlit balcony outside the windows. The man was taken by surprise at first, failing to see Demetri’s death glare, but followed you obediently. The truth was that you hated yourself for acting like this, like a true weakling that took advantage of other people by playing with them –since it was kind of obvious that Luce had a soft spot for you- only to get on Demetri’s nerves. Still, it was the only thing you wanted to do at the moment, no matter the consequences.  
  
Once you go outside, your lungs immediately fill with the frozen air of late February and the whole town seems rather stunning under the cold, tranquil night. Without being able to stop yourself, you let out a deep sigh, feeling the aftermath of Demetri’s stern and intense stare cooling off, sliding away from your skin like the soft breeze took the with it. for a moment, both you and Luce remain silent, completely enveloped inside your own thoughts, until the man turned and leaned on the marble barrier next to you; his figure seemed breathtaking under the silver light and you thought that in any other case, you would have definitely be enchanted by him  
  
‘I find it kind of foolish for anyone to not feel blessed about being your favorite ______.’ He speaks up, drawing your attention ‘The way you move and express yourself truly is majestic and for someone to turn such pure person like you down, is something far more than simple stupidity. It’s quite clear that you have a soft spot for the vampire and I am sure that he can see it.’  
  
Luce’s words bear deep into your mind like the touch of hot iron, making you drop your jaw on the floor in surprise ‘I do not certainly favorite him Luce. He just simply horrifies me with how much of a douche bag one can get. But what you can expect from a vampire?’ you breathe out, averting your gaze over the village.  
  
‘He is a douche bag?’ he questions.  
  
‘He is.’ You repeat.  
  
The man lets out a deep chuckle and nods ‘Well, can’t say I don’t agree, because only an idiot would let you down and go around dancing with a succubus like her.’ He observes and winks at you as you laughed loudly.  
  
‘C’mon, I’m not nearly as pretty as Heidi.’ You exclaim, clearly amused.  
  
‘I agree; you are far more beautiful and unique than her. I have seen many girls like her roaming the streets at night and I have encountered very few girls as amazing as you. The problem is, why don’t you see who really likes you for who you are?’ He trails off with a hidden meaning in his words.  
  
Not that you didn’t like Luce’s words or attempts to cheer you up, but you knew you were no match for Heidi. Still, you allow your low chuckle to erupt from deep within your chest, giving in foolishly to Luce’s flirting yet without failing to remember the certain addition he did in the end, something that makes your said laughter die out a lot faster than what you would like. The man clearly had a way with words and even seemed happy to see you smile, but right then, he decided all on his own to take things a bit further by adding these words. Suddenly, all you wanted was to make a turn on your heels and get away from this balcony and the man, since the air around you seemed to come closer and suffocate you, just at the very same moment that the true meaning behind his words dawned inside your mind. Alas, you were abruptly brought back from your frozen state when you feel the man take your hand gently in his, coming a step closer to you, with your bodies almost touching. He was too close. _Way too close._  
  
‘Luce, please I-‘ you were interrupted by his words falling on your face along with his soft breath.  
  
‘Just see ______.’  
  
All you saw was him taking a decisive step forward and before you even knew it, he was leaning in for a kiss, taking you by total surprise. Your reaction was immediately triggered.  
  
Upon instant realization, you took a step back, your eyes bewildered and heart pounding hard and unevenly as nothing but rage was emitted by every fiber of your existence ‘What do you think you are doing?’ you demand to know.  
  
‘Trying to kiss you.’ He responds innocently, grabbing you by the waist and pulling you against him ‘Just a little one.’  
  
‘I don’t think so.’ You throw at him, trying to get away but he was too strong for you.  
  
‘I believe the lady made herself quite clear.’  
  
It was right then and there that you froze like a marble statue. It was right then when the voice filled the small balcony and the deafening silence of the night that your brain decided to stop thinking all together, completely surrendering to your stupefied body. This was simply not happening. You were having another terrible nightmare and it was sure that you were about to wake up in your comfortable bed in any given moment. What could otherwise explain things? What was possibly able to explain the fact that Luce had just tried to kiss you and the voice which shot through your whole body belonged to none other than Demetri himself? It was a dream, just a dream.  
  
Luce had now turned towards the opening to the room behind both of you, his once warm eyes having grown completely cold and serious, scaring the living life out of you for a single second. Yet things were even worse when you looked over and your stare met with Demetri standing at the said entrance, his grim expression and tightened lips making you realize that he was one single step away from charging against the human man and tearing him into little pony pieces for Jane to play with. His once rich red eyes had turned into two coal black burning fires with his body being straightened up and unmoving like the blade of the sword; he had completely fixated on the man and the aura which he gave off made your mouth half open in surprise and terror. Right now, you simply wanted to become as small as a speck of dust to avoid his lethal rage. It horrified you. And there was not a single trace of pride inside of you to oppose him. You weren’t stupid. You knew when sh!t hit the fan and this was one of these kinds of situations.  
  
Yet before you were even able to realize, an iron grip had snatched you by the arm and you were violently pulled against a concrete wall. It took you a second to realize that Demetri was now holding you against his chest possessively, with you being unable to do the slightest of movements; you couldn’t even think let alone react.  
  
‘Next time you get near her, your father will mourn the end of his lineage.’ Demetri said, his voice barely above a life-threatening whisper. It was so cold, that you felt an unpleasant shiver run down your spine and knock all air out of your lungs.  
  
Luce chuckled and said something under his breath that you were unable to hear, but Demetri’s jaw tightened in dismay, before the man turned and pulled you once again inside the crowded room and as far away from the balcony as he could. You stumbled and struggled with your own two feet to keep you standing up as you tried not to fall down and walk on your heels all at the same time, with the man paying no attention to the way he was pulling you. No matter how much you tried to get his attention by pulling your hand as hard as you could and calling his name to make him face you, neither your desperate acts nor your voice seemed to reach him. He simply continued pulling you along towards where the three Maters of the Volturi were standing, the only place where Luce would be unable to come without being noticed. It was that simple fact which made you lose it. Just who the hell did he think he was and why was he acting like that. He was definitely not the boss of you, nor did he have any kind of sick ownership over you.  
  
And for that reason, his actions and the whole aura of possessiveness made you angry beyond reason. Clenching your jaw, you grab a hold of his iron grip with your free hand and twisting your other one, you manage to free yourself with a painful groan.  
  
‘What the hell do you think you are doing?!’ you demand to know, stopping on your tracks and with anger being emitted from every single fiber of your existence. If you didn’t have the restrainer on, you would smite him into pieces.  
  
He stops cold and the moment he turns, his gaze is as infuriated as your own.  
  
‘Have you gone completely mad? Have you lost all reason?’ he demands to know, taking a threatening step towards you ‘Why did you isolate yourself with that man? Did it not pass your mind that he could hurt you? Are you that idiotic?’  
  
His words were heavily painted by anger and darkness yet you didn’t even flinch or retreat; the only thing you felt, was even more anger.  
  
‘Do I have to remind you again that you are not the f*cking boss of me? I will do whatever the hell I want and it doesn’t f*cking concern you leech. So why don’t you go back to your slutty succubus and leave me be for just one night?!’ you throw at his face, your words dripping with nothing but pure poison. Your voice was a bit louder and made a few heads turn to both of you, but you just couldn’t give less of a damn right now.  
  
‘Leave you be? When you go around flirting with random idiotic humans?’ he takes another step towards you ‘What would have happened if I hadn’t interrupted him? Do you know what he was about to do?’  
  
You scoff mockingly ‘Isn’t it obvious? He was going to kiss me. Thankfully, not the kind of kisses that feel like you want to suck the brains out of the mouth; you know, the ones you and Heidi share.’  
  
The moment these words leave your lips, you immediately regret them; the moment you utter them, the expression on the vampire’s face alters. You see his black eyes gaining a strong tint of red and his eyebrows are raised to point out his surprise even more. The realization was as clear as the sky outside and you had the strong urge to slap yourself across the face for what you had done.  
  
Demetri though, only smiles slyly ‘_____ are you jealous? Is that it?’  
  
Your eyes blink. The constant beating of your heart resonates inside your ears like someone had ripped your chest open and snatching it out, he rested it beside your ear. Actually, along with the heartbeat you can hear the sound of your blood flowing through your veins, the sound of music filling the air, the small whispers made among the people that chatted away around you. For a single moment your body freezes and you are left to stare at the now grinning male with no emotion written across your face. You inhale. You exhale. You chuckle. Inhale. Chuckle. Exhale…  
  
And then, you start laughing.  
  
Everything started out at first as a barely audible chuckle, a laughter so faint that didn’t even make your stomach contract at all; you simply smiled and allowed the luxurious faint sound to escape your lips. Yet what took Demetri by surprise was what followed next. The more you inhaled, the more the laughter became louder and louder, until you literally threw your hands protectively over your stomach and almost folded over as you laughed louder than you ever had, tears of pure joy bubbling on the edges of your eyes only to be wiped aaway before they had the chance to ruin the majestic work Gianna had dome with your make-up. And you laughed. You laughed and laughed and laughed, completely forgetting about Demetri’s existence or pretty much anyone elses’ and you focus all of your soul not to pass out from all the laughter. Only in the mere thought that _you were _jealous of _Demetri _even more waves of maniacal laughter washed over you making you simply unable to stop. This was truly the best joke you had ever heard in a long while.  
  
‘H-holy sh!t that got me…’ you manage to exclaim after a solid ten minutes were you laughed and Demetri simply stared at you, saying nothing.  
  
‘Sorry to break it to you Demetri, but there is literally nothing to be jealous of.’ You straighten your back once again and wiping away the tears, you walk past him proudly, walking towards the direction of a waiter what had a tray filled with champagne glasses.  
  
That was a joke you would be telling for all the years to come.  
  
You.  
  
Jealous.  
  
Awesome joke.  
  
As you walked towards the only waiter that still had champagne on his tray though, passing through the crowd and being extra careful not to stumble on anyone on your way there, you were able to catch a glimpse of a certain movement among the large crowd. Unwillingly, your curious mind turns and you see a man, barely above fifty years of age and dressed extremely expensively walking among the crowd and towards the direction of where Aro was standing, having turned his back and completely oblivious to the man’s advances that had a certain way that strikes as odd to you; an ominous aura had clouded him completely and his eyes were fixated on the vampire without paying any attention to the rest of the crowd. Even stranger was the fact when you see him reaching out for the inner pocket of his coat, briefly grabbing something and pulling it out.  
  
Whatever it was, it shone for a single moment under the lights and the moment the man passed from right in front of you, a few meters away from Aro, he raised that said item and only then you realized:  
  
It was a silver dagger.  
  
You didn’t even stop to think.  
  
‘ARO!’


	16. Chapter 14 Inevitability

You never really give much thought into your actions. That is the curse that accompanies a nature who is truly hot-blooded. The individual that chooses to act upon a certain situation without constructive thinking beforehand is bound to have to suffer the repercussions of his actions, which can very much likely be very destructive. This is the curse plaguing the people of instinct and this is the very curse plaguing you. It used to be very frustrating and heroic thing to do when you were younger; standing up for yourself when you were mercilessly bullied or things like that, used to make your father shake his head as he tended your wounds or Embry buy you a nice ice-cream from the local shop in La Push on your way back from school an proceeding to mess your hair playfully before planting a small kiss of pure tenderness on them, but now that you had reached a certain age, it was simply plain stupidity and recklessness.  
  
And that was what placed you in trouble, just like now.  
  
If you excluded your fight with Demetri, this whole night was surely crowned with success. You had danced and met new people and wandered around many more humans that were just like you, weary and in awe about the vampire world that surrounded them. The dance room, the beautiful decorations, everything made this night one to be remembered and the fun part was that you could say you were a bit light-headed from all the champagne. Sure, fighting with Demetri and seeing Heidi did nothing to help ensure the magic of the splendid night, but you were willing to look past all these. What you did not expect in the least though, was the man walking through the crowd and pulling a silver dagger, more than ready to strike Aro dead. Right at this point, was when your hot-blooded nature kicked in and you barely even stopped to think about the matters at hand. All, your dizzy brain saw, was the silver dagger being raised, the turned back of the leader of the Volturi and the next thing you realized, was your own body being ejected in between them, while your mouth fell open and a terrified scream erupted from the depths of your lungs.  
  
‘ARO!’  
  
You saw the strange man clenching his jaw with determination, barely seeing you in front of him, his eyes terrifyingly devoured by a dark flame which could be nothing else but pure madness.  
  
The dagger disappeared.  
  
And everyone held their breaths.  
  
Even if you always used to be the hot-blooded one, you were never able to feel comfortable when all eyes were on you. As the whole room stood still, eyes focused on your little form with your hands raised to stop the attacker and forgetting that you were still wearing your restrainer, all you could actually hear was your very own breath pounding inside your ears. The man in front of you blinked and suddenly his eyes focused back on you, briefly filling with pure surprise as he took a few steps back, at the very same moment that the strong aroma of rust and salt hit your nose in an unpleasant way. Where was the dagger though? He wasn’t holding it in his hands anymore, so where was it? It was right then that realization hit you like a concrete wall, connecting both the disappearance of the dagger and the sudden smell of rust and salt.  
  
Out of pure instinct, your hands fly to your stomach, the very same time that your gaze wanders downwards and terror strikes you to the core. Your fingers brush against the cold handle of the dagger softly and all you can do is watch your majestic dress getting more and more stained by the passing seconds, the midnight blue destroyed by the dark water that was rushing out. Only that it wasn’t water; you surely wished it was but it wasn’t. The dagger had plunged itself deep into your stomach and right now you were currently bleeding out with absolutely no way to stop it. Your shaking hands wrap around the handle and with the ringing in your ears deafening you, you clench your teeth and with a swift move pull out the dagger. The blade shines majestically under the faint light, with the ruby red liquid dripping down to stain the floor and for a split second, you were glad that the vampires were unable to smell your blood. Not that they would be the ones to kill you. Your grip around the dagger falters and the blade falls on the ground with the peculiarly deafening sound reverberating like a gunshot through the painfully silent room and all you can do is watch in silent screams of salvation, of help, as you press your hands against the wound in a desperate try to make things better.  
  
The attacker took a few more steps back, his body tense and turning ever-so-lightly; he was about to run for his life and any possible exit, his now clear eyes sifting from you to somewhere behind you, where you already knew Aro was standing. The man screamed and turned to run, but a sudden golden flash made his body freeze on spot.  
  
Soft yet cold hands wrapped carefully around your waist like you were made out of the finest of porcelains and someone pulled you up bridal style as all you could do was watch in terror since the head of the attacker slid off his neck with a barely noticeable move which led it to fall unceremoniously to the ground with a stomach-turning crack and was shortly after followed by the rest of his body. You felt bile rising in your throat as many people from the crowd screamed and backed away, but whoever it was that picked you up was already making his way towards the exit, passing through the large crowd like he didn’t even see it. You on the other hand, had quite the grand stage to see the macabre spectacle, with your brain failing to give the all-too necessary order for you to look away and save some part of your brain from the haunting images. The now hollow and empty eyes of the unknown man stared back at you with all life having abandoned them and you simply couldn’t suppress the cold chill that run down your spine and shook your heart to the very core. Thankfully, a low voice chose that particular moment to talk, breaking you out of the horrific trance and gaining your attention to the fullest.  
  
‘Keep still ______. I am taking you to the doctors. You are going to be fine.’ Demetri’s soft voice whispers in your ear and the man walks hastily past the corpse, completely ignoring the uproar that erupted all around him. A few people were still screaming, others were yelling orders incoherently for the crowd to remain calm and others rushed to get as far away from the corpse as possible, not even once paying any attention to your retreating forms, not even when Demetri passed on the large corridor, starting to go up the many sets of stairs, carrying your weight like it was nothing.  
  
You groan in pain and try with all that was left of your will, to stay conscious but still lay your head against his shoulder, trying to save as much energy as you could ‘How about letting me bleed out peacefully in a corner and all of your problems will be solved? I can actually pay you if you’d like.’ You smirk lightly.  
  
Due to your bodies close proximity you can actually feel the man tense up in your words even if his voice never failed to be teasing as he spoke, all at the same time speeding up with his pace, walking towards the left side of the castle as fast as he could ‘Would be bad for my reputation if I were to let you die.’  
  
You chucked darkly but as you did, another groan left your lips and you leaned your head back, clenching your teeth hard; by now, the pain resonating from your belly was the least excruciating and the blood loss was quickly taking its toll on you; you realized that the excessive bleeding was getting worse, when everything around you started blurring around the edges, making it hard for you to focus ‘Just admit you are afraid of the possibility of me haunting you for eternity. Because that’s what I’m planning on doing, just to remind you how cockily awful Casanova you continue to be.’  
  
Maybe it wasn’t the best of times to mess with him or be bitter right now, but as your vision kept deteriorating with a fast pace, turning from clear to completely hazy in a matter of seconds, you simply couldn’t do anything else to keep yourself conscious and it was something the handsome vampire noticed as well. Still, by the time Demetri decided to answer your small taunt, your brain was already numb and the lights were starting to go out. Thus, the words which reached your ears could be easily passed to be just a small trick your imagination decided to play on you.  
  
‘I would not mind you being around for all eternity at all.’  
  
  
  


**~ * ~**

  
  
  
  
  
Demetri had a full view on your face as he was carrying you down the hallway and towards the medical wing of the castle and thus saw your eyelids growing heavy and your head leaning backwards, the very same time in which your heart took to lower her beat considerably. You had passed out right inside his arms, your body trying to fight the severe blood loss from the stab wound. The male vampire fixated his gaze on your pale face and his far superior sense of hearing was immediately recruited to make sure that your heart beat would not disappear under his watch, all at the same time in which he quickened his pace to a light running towards the doctors. You were growing paler and paler with the passing seconds and even he was surprised to find himself pondering on why he didn’t act quick enough to stop the attacker before it was too late. He and the rest of the Volturi Guard were supposed to eliminate opponents and threats like that, yet the only thing the male did do, was watch your retreating back with a pinch of pain and stubbornness for your cold actions penetrating his once cool and leveled mind. Then the heavenly sound of your voice as you threw yourself among the attacker and Aro, the only vulnerable and mortal part of the Guard who managed to stop the foe risking her own mortality.  
  
Didn’t you think about the fact that Aro was immortal? That this pathetic excuse of an attack would do nothing against the immortal leader? But Demetri knew; he knew that you were a bit dazed from all those drinks you had, from all the things that happened inside a single night and he knew very well that you were in no position to defend yourself properly. Just like when Luce did his move to you. So why on earth did he let you do that and not stop you?! There was only his own self to blame and the strong urge to punish himself in any way he could think of was the only thing that prevailed inside his otherwise disheveled mind; thankfully for you, the man’s thoughts were tamed enough to allow him to rush you inside the small surgery room that the Volturi had prepared along with your official arrival and the doctors that were currently inside rushed to take you out of the frozen vampire’s hands, who could do nothing more than stare blankly on your blooded form. For a single second, you did not look so tough or resilient at all; for that single second, you were just a young girl, barely seventeen years of age who was covered in blood from head to toe and seemed too vulnerable for anyone to kill.  
  
You were so vulnerable.  
  
How can one be so strong and so vulnerable all at the same time? As the doctors rushed inside the operating room, passing by Demetri and paying absolutely no attention to him, the man’s mind was working with a thousand turns per second, analyzing all the information he was presented with. He was so deep into thought, that he never said a word or spoke up against the doctor who pushed him outside of the operating room; he never even understood when he started pacing up and down the hall, his hands flying to pass though his hair and mess them indifferently. The only thing he knew was that images of you passed right before his very own red eyes.  
  
The first moment he set his eyes on you, was the very first time he instantly took a liking towards a person and especially a human one. In his eyes, you were nothing more than a plain human but as he kept his attention to you, he noticed that you were far more than simply that; you were filled with light and fire. You were an extremely vulnerable person that had fire trapped inside her eyes and a soul made completely out of the purest of lights there are in existence, something that made you far more superior to anyone he had ever met. You were not afraid of anything while honor and determination graced your every move. He simply was utterly fascinated by you and in the mere possibility that he could lose such a valuable possession, the need to forcibly take lives away was too strong for him to handle. He needed you there; he needed your fire burning inside the darkness of his existence. Everything around him was long ago set ablaze and he was simply just standing there, watching the flames dancing and dreading the time they would die out. Because if you keep acting so recklessly, so impulsively, if he fails to keep you safe, those flames will go out sooner than expected. And there was no way in hell he was going to allow that; there was no way for you to escape him from now on.  
  
It was right now that he was finally realizing your importance.  
  
And it was right now that he truly understood.  
  
He was not going to let you go that easily.  
  
He would make you his.  
  
Whatever the cost.  
  
‘How is she Demetri?’ an all-too familiar voice sounded right then, pulling the gorgeous vampire from his deep thoughts and finally making him stop walking up and down, as his red eyes turned and located his vampire comrade.  
  
Felix wore a quite concerned expression on his face and the moment he was inside the small waiting room, his head perked up and his gaze nailed on the closed door behind Demetri, listening to the doctors who were doing their best to save the girl. You.  
  
Yet the man had other questions for his friend for the very first time.  
  
‘Felix, why do we vampires, yearn for the things we can never have? The vulnerable ones; the ones that their lives are only flickering lights inside the darkness?’  
  
Felix turned to his friend, quite taken aback by the question, yet when he spoke, his voice was calm, collected and filled with wisdom that was very rare for the monstrous man.  
  
‘Because some things are inevitable.’


	17. Chapter 15 A Smile Conquers All

‘Come on mia cara; you must stand up.’  
  
‘Why do I always get myself into trouble Gianna?’ you roll your eyes and breathe out exaggeratedly but let the brown-haired female help you on your feet.  
  
‘Trouble is the one to follow you ______. Not the other way around.’ Gianna smiled to you, her green eyes filling with happiness and warmth; qualities which you had grown so fond of, since they were the only ones just like your own inside this cold and eternally frozen castle.  
  
Clenching your jaw with determination, you step on your own two feet and take a weak step forward, your limbs frail and your state deteriorated due to the severe blood loss you had undergone last night. The last thing you remembered was Demetri rushing your to the medical wing for the millionth time already and the next thing you knew, you were waking up on the comfortable hospital bed of the consultation room with a heavy layer of bandages carefully wrapped on your upper abdomen. It required no less than two blood transfusions and a very careful stitching operation to stop the blood from coming out and seal the wound and it took the doctors all night to achieve it. Thus, the day dawned with you feeling a little bit weaker than usual.  
  
‘At least I can walk this time.’ You say, taking a few steps around the room to strengthen your limbs and to your utter happiness, the more you walked the more you felt your strength returning to you. It only helped to lift your spirits up as well.  
  
‘If you act so carelessly, maybe next time you won’t be.’ Gianna scolded you lightly, folding her hands over her chest in a motherly tone but right as these words left her lips, her attention was turned towards the two vampires that stepped inside the room, one as tall as Mount Everest and the other one possessing amazingly sand-blond hair and a smile to die for.  
  
‘You might not be impressed Gianna, but Aro surely was last night.’ Felix chuckles and his loud voice reaches your ears like the sound of a canon as the vampire turns his amused gaze to you, his smile crooked ‘It’s not often that we are surprised _____, but well done.’  
  
‘Felix, do not tempt her more.’ Demetri comments and his luxuriously red eyes nail themselves deep into your very own and for the strangest of reasons, you feel them reach deep down into your very soul.  
  
For a split second, you felt as if you were stripped naked and exposed to the oddly hungry eyes of the vampire; it managed to create a mixture of feelings arise inside your chest, making you shift uncomfortably and a luxuriously red shade to stain your cheeks. Demetri’s eyes seem to acquire a strange glow, noticing the color, and you rush to avert your gaze away from his penetrating stare, mad with yourself for allowing him to get under your skin. Maybe it was his words last night that kept echoing inside your mind or maybe it was the strange feelings you got as the both of you were dancing; whatever the hell it was, his presence inside the same room did nothing to calm your mind and as if that wasn’t enough, you felt your heart quickening its beat and your stomach to grow completely empty. What the hell was that?  
  
‘If you want to scold me Demetri, save it; Gianna beat you to it.’ you manage to keep your voice steady ‘Mind telling me what the plans are for today?’ you take a turn on your heels, extending your hands on your sides to help you keep your balance, yet never fail seeing the sly expression spreading on Demetri’s beautiful face.  
  
‘What do you want us to do _____?’  
  
The way he pronounced your name sends a shiver down your spine ‘Oh, I don’t know.’ You chuckle to yourself and make another turn, your mood lighter than ever and your ironic comments laid to rest for now ‘How about we go shopping and then for a nice walk around town since I haven’t seen the place at all –save for the time we went to Greece-. And maybe a stop to a patisserie would be nice before we return to have a feast on the roof gardens!’  
  
Gianna bursts out laughing at your words and you can’t help but allow the edges of your lips perk up on a small smile as well.  
  
‘Then we shall do just that.’ Demetri’s eyes flash.  
  
Your smile drops and Gianna’s laughter is immediately cut short, as both of you turn towards the smiling vampire who keeps his perfect smile on as he gazes upon your unamused face.  
  
‘It’s not funny to mock me Demetri.’ You sigh and fold your hands over your chest, averting your gaze to the floor defeated ‘I already know I can’t go out.’  
  
‘But you are going to; with us along of course.’  
  
‘What?’ you glare at him, trying to see the traces of the lies he was speaking. But there was none and Felix only laughed from right beside him.  
  
‘We are going for a walk around town; these are Aro’s orders since he was grateful of your actions.’ He repeats patiently.  
  
You only heard half of what he said.  
  
‘We are going out?’  
  
‘We are going out.’ He flashes you a dazzling smile.  
  
At first, your brain just refused to analyze the words that left his lips. For a few seconds, all you could actually do was stare blankly at Demetri’s cocky smile, while your mouth fell open and closed, opened and closed, yet no sound came from within whatsoever. What did he just say? You were going out? You were…. Why is he smiling like that? Does he…? Does he mean it? You are going out?! You are actually GOING OUT?!  
  
Words were barely even enough to describe the wave of emotions that washed over you; all people present inside the room though had a clear view to all of them as they flashed through your entire face and thus saw your eyes being set ablaze like two (e/c) fiery orbs. If your state allowed it to you, you would already be jumping up and down while screaming like an overly excited child. Whatever the hell you were, you almost pass out from your untamable excitement and before you even had the chance to realize it, you were already walking all around the place to get ready for your trip. However, the times you turned around and asked Demetri if he was kidding or not where actually countless yet the patient vampire only reassured you that his word would not be taken back for whatever reason. Clearly, he found it rather amusing to have you all up and about and his curious gaze followed your every move; it was the very first time the man was witnessing your genuinely happy side, the one that allowed your true age to come out and dropped the emotionless and bitter façade of maturity.  
  
You were actually going outside.  
  
All those days inside the Volturi castle, trapped and without a possible way out, had made you crave for just a single breath of fresh air, for the opportunity to gaze at the clear sky and feel the crowds of people walking past by you, their hearts beating strongly inside their chest and synchronizing to the rhythm of their laughter. How much you craved for human interaction was far beyond your comprehension and only now you realized how much you missed it; how much you had missed the buzzing -from all the hyper voices- roads, the sincere smiles given by the people that walk past you, the warm feeling generating from deep inside your heart as you are inside a crowd consisted purely from your own kind. Don’t get you wrong, Gianna was the only link with the outside world you had, but after all those days in here it had grown quite tiresome to trouble just a single person; it was tiring to see only one of your human companions, even if you did get along to the fullest and considered yourselves practically best friends. All these had nothing to do with your need to interact with more people. To hear the kids playing on the streets, to smell all the aromas dancing gracefully in the air and see warmth residing inside their eyes. You craved for all of that.  
  
And so, your injuries were nothing but pestering hindrances for you. And now, your feet felt lighter and your heart beat faster and the smile that danced on the edges of your mouth as you run to your room to get ready and then meet with the two vampire guards was a genuine one. The dark clouds which had taken over your heart and your head were now being drifted away by the winds of happiness and excitement that took over your mind, allowing you for the first time in like forever to think clearly. You didn’t even realize when you managed to get ready and when you were already running through the vast, bereft hallways, only to reach Demetri and Felix who were standing by the very same door you used to get inside the castle the first time you got here. Seeing you, both of them smile and Felix laughs, exactly when Demetri opens the door for you.  
  
You don’t hesitate for a split second.  
  
You keep running.  
  
And you eject yourself out of the door.  
  
Immediately, you were surrounded by the blinding light.  
  
For a few seconds, light is the only thing you can actually see. It is everywhere: in your eyes that are struggling to find their vision once again, on the vast spaces of open land that surrounded you; it was even brushing against your delicate skin, enveloping your existence and filling your lungs with nothing but light itself. It was intoxicating; it was utterly and truly mesmerizing. It chased away the darkness that had taken over your heart like a dark cloud and surrendered your very own soul to the holiness of light. Bathed in it, it was the very first time since you came here that you felt exactly how you should. Free, calm, strong, master of your own self, invincible. Freedom inside the light of Paradise itself. Maybe it is this very feeling that you get when you pass onto the Afterlife. This calmness and serenity.  
  
After that single second passed, the world was tuned back to your senses and your vision was restored. Once your eyes blinked, all the people and the town were presented right in front of you in all its glory. The enormous sky was covered by a thick layer of grey clouds, threatening the residents with rain at any given moment, making them pick up their pace and rush to finish their chores one minute earlier. Thus, people were coming and going, chatting with each other merrily and with their voices becoming one unanimous buzz, from which you could discern only little but calmed you down tremendously. Kids were running here and there, their school bags thrown messily over their shoulders as they run towards their houses, playfully pushing one another and laughing their hearts out. Even the small café right across the street was filled with people and the kind waitress was pacing up and down with a large smile on her face to make sure every single one of her customers was satisfied to the fullest. It was a normal day for them, a day filled with colors and voices despite the penetrating coldness of the first days of March; the cold air penetrated your lungs and energized you, relaxing your nerves as you feel your worried brain calming down.  
  
‘We are really outside!’ you exclaim mesmerized ‘I can’t believe it.’  
  
‘Your lack of trust towards us is rather frustrating at times _____.’ You hear the Volturi tracker comment from somewhere behind you, his voice laced with stoicism and faint disappointment.  
  
Yet when you turn towards him, the reply words already dancing at the edge of your tongue, the smile you offer him is one and the same with the one you have back at Forks; the one Embry always replied to by messing your hair tenderly and Jacob by pulling you into a bone-crashing hug, the one that got Bella’s light come back to her eyes, the one that made your dad smile back with complete love towards his only daughter. It was a smile coming straight from your heart and illuminated your (e/c) orbs.  
  
‘Don’t be so gloomy Demetri! Let’s walk every inch of this town and have fun!’ you exclaim, turning and starting pacing towards a random direction which for some reason seemed interesting, failing to see the man’s eyes widening in the sight of your sincere smile that rendered him completely breathless and immovable, needing his friend’s slap in the back to return to his senses.  
  
The two vampires rush to follow your retreating form, with the taller one switching his gaze among your own form and to his clearly mesmerized friend’s, whose eyes never left the girl for a single second, something that was rather strange and unexampled. Usually, Felix was quite used to his friend flirting with many women, his good looks attracting much attention, but it was the very first time that the exact opposite was happening. And for once, you seemed to be completely oblivious about it. Instead, you were walking down the narrow streets with your eyes gleaming in delight, looking all around you in order to take in the luxurious scenery, with the stone houses and the small shops whose display windows were adorned with all kinds of things. From sweets and other edible things, to jewelry and clothes much like the ones you see on runways. Italy was well-known for her taste in fashion and no shop inside the country was ever spared by it.  
  
Walking past various people, you can’t help but notice that their clothes were actually really good fashioned, even if they were not that extravagant, and clearly much better in colors and fabrics than the ones you were used to back in Forks. Also, the very same people were absolutely beautiful, each and every one of them holding onto a beauty for the ages, like ancient gods who kept walking the earth. A few kids ran past you and a more heightened buzz reached your ears, making you avert your curious gaze to your right. There, on the side of the street, was a street vendor who apparently sells hot chocolate to the passing crowd. The sweet aroma of hot coco reaches your nose and you inhale the fragrance deeply, your mind producing the thought to get some and warm yourself alas, you had no money for it.  
  
The second this thought forms on your mind, you feel a cold hand grabbing a careful hold of your own and lifting your hand, he rests it on your elbow, making sure to hold you like a true gentle man while all at the same time make sure you were not going anywhere out of his sight; you were taken aback at first but looking up, you immediately recognize none other than Demetri. His sand-blond hair was waving on the soft breeze, while his violet eyes –a mixture of his natural red color and the blue of contact lenses- focused on the vendor with fascination written all over them. You had actually forgotten that you were here along with the Volturi Guards.  
  
‘I have heard that hot chocolate warms up the heart of human females. Is that true?’ he asks, pretending to be innocent.  
  
‘It would be easy to answer that, but don’t you want to find out for yourself?’ You suggest slyly while smiling yet the man does in fact pick up both of your paces, walking over to the human seller and giving him some money and a few words in fluent Italian, he hands you a steaming cup of hot coco.  
  
‘Grazie mille.’ You mumble and smile kindly to the vendor as you walk away.  
  
‘I did not know that you speak Italian.’ Demetri speaks up as you rush to drink some of the hot liquid, raising his eyebrow in question.  
  
In response, you smile at him truthfully ‘Gianna is surprisingly a good teacher. I pick up some words from her when she forgets that I don’t speak Italian and goes on about her day like I do.’ You confess, watching his lips turn into a smile as well.  
  
‘So is it safe to say you are starting to get used to being around here?’ he questions, his eyes searching your face for any sign of discomfort or lie, but the only thing he sees is the first one.  
  
Before you reply to him, you swallow the small sip of coco carefully, feeling the warmth spreading from your head to toe, yet failing to chase the discomfort and bitterness from your tone and expression ‘Let’s not take things too far Demetri. Thanks for the chocolate though.’  
  
‘You do not have to thank me.’ He comments, his gaze softening to you words ‘In time _____, you will find that we are not such bad of a company. You might even grow to like some of us.’  
  
For the strangest of reasons, his words sounded dual, making a soft blush spread over your cheeks, yet you choose to ignore them and change the subject altogether for your own sanity ‘Like you did when you first became part of the Volturi Guard?’  
  
Thankfully, the question seems to alter his attention elsewhere ‘To tell you the truth, I quite enjoyed the company of Aro and Marcus right from the start; they are sources of history itself since they lived to see it and it is quite fascinating to talk with them. Amun was a great tutor but I knew that beside Aro and the rest of them I would be truly of use. The first years in the Volturi Guard were only about training but once I was ready, I took up various important missions.’  
  
‘As vampires you must have seen many great things.’ You comment, allowing him to lead you towards a crowded street.  
  
He nods ‘I cannot deny that; I have seen empires rise and fall in a matter of a few decades and I was there when the Volturi chased down the remaining members of the Romanian Coven. Even as a human, I had chased many outlaws or helped them track them down.’  
  
‘Sounds rather interesting. Have you met others like me? Distorters of any kind?’  
  
His smile falters a little bit the moment you ask that question, yet the male vampire is more than happy to answer your question ‘I have met a few others like you through various decades. One when I first turned, one around the Victorian Era and one on the battlefields of World War II. All of them had unique and quite astonishing powers like your own, even if they did not live long enough to make it to Voltera. Aro always looked for people like you, but after the seemingly last one died in the battlefields, I was called back to Voltera and all Distorter tracking expeditions were shortly after canceled. If you ask me, it is highly likely that you are the last of your kind.’ He weights his words carefully, making sure not to reveal too much to you and it was that very fact which convinced you that there were more to that story than what met the eye.  
  
As you think about the info Demetri just gave you, you stop right in front of an antique shop, so taking advantage of the spot, you avert your gaze to the display window that was filled with various stuff, trying to place your disheveled thoughts in order and pretending you were looking around. You wanted to ask him about the people he met, about the other distorters and the powers they possessed but from the tone of his voice and the cautious expression he wore, you knew that he wouldn’t tell you sh!t. Maybe it would be wise of you to hold on to that and search on your own, or even ask him another time, when you would have made sure to have him in his best condition. Maybe if you attempted to flirt? No! You would definitely not flirt with a Casanova; he might get the wrong impression. Maybe you could ask Felix or find a book in the Volturi library. All in all though, you wanted to know more.  
  
‘What happened wolf girl? You are awfully quiet.’ Demetri comments, pulling you out of your trance.  
  
It was in that very moment that you realized he had leaned in towards your face, his lips inches away from yours and his eyes looking deep down into your own. Once again, the very same feeling that he was staring deep into your very soul with the same fascination a small child holds, arises inside your mind and a luxurious shade of red paints your cheeks, the moment your heart starts running a marathon. You attempt to take a step back, but the sly vampire is holding onto your hand tightly, allowing you no movements whatsoever, further causing your blush to deepen.  
  
‘You haven’t seen a person thinking before? And if you think this is flirting Casanova, you are sadly mistaken.’ You throw at him as you avert your gaze back at the display window.  
  
‘Do you _want me_ to flirt with you _____?’  
  
‘What is that?’ you point at a small item on the display window, trying as hard as you can to calm your nerves a bit and turn his attention to anywhere but you before unpleasant things for both of you happen. Where the hell was Felix when you needed him?  
  
So you point at the first thing you see and in your case, it was a wooden box with a hand-carved wolf on it who was seemingly howling to the [moon](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/12/6e/6d/126e6dd8a36bcbe7dd0f0831a1cf398b.jpg). Demetri’s attention swifts to it unwillingly and taking advantage of that fact, your brain analyzes the box all over again. It was a hand-carved, wooden pine tree box, with various tribal symbols adorning all of its sides, with the crest of a howling wolf on the top of it. The moment your eyes fell on it and you realized what it was, your mind travels away from Voltera. Suddenly, you are no longer inside the dry and cold city, but inside the humid and drowned in mid-light forest of La Push. And it wasn’t Demetri that was standing by you, but Embry. Your best friend, your kind and always warm-hearted friend who you simply loved. You were not alone inside a foreign country. You were home. Home with the wolves.  
  
A hand reaches out from inside the shop and someone grabs the box, taking it away from your sight.  
  
Immediately, your heart skips a beat and you take a step towards the window, trying to see where the box was taken, but that very same moment Demetri walks out of the shop while cradling the box in his hands. Your eyes widen in total surprise and a sly smirk paints his face and his eyes glisten with a dangerous but alluring glow.  
  
He walks right in front of you and with a courteous nod, he offers you the box.  
  
‘It seems that it’s a music box; since you liked it so much, consider it a gift from me.’ He smirks as you take the box in your own two hands, your brain failing to form the necessary words to thank the man; not that he seemed to mind at all.  
  
With careful moves, you examine the box from all corners, before unlocking the small wolf-shaped lock and open it. Immediately, the sweet sound of a flute floods the air and the familiar sound of a Native American [song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mV10wBdSIv4) you simply loved reached your ears, its sound having a triggering effect of calmness and relaxation to the rest of your body. Your heartbeat relaxed straight away, the moment your brain released a wave of calmness through your body like an arrow, almost paralyzing you to the spot and relaxing you to the fullest. A sincere smile spread over your lips and once you look up to smile at Demetri for this amazing gift, you find the man already staring at you intensely, making a rich blush spread across your face; this time, it was impossible to conceal it, since the vampire’s keen eyesight had already spotted it and the man was grinning from ear to ear.  
  
‘So there you are lovebirds!’ a voice pulls both of you abruptly to reality and as your head turns, you see Felix coming your way with various bags hanging from his right hand ‘How about we get back to the castle? It’s going to rain.’  
  
Demetri opens his mouth to say something, but you are faster than him this time.  
  
‘Call us lovebirds one single f*cking time more and I guarantee it will be the last thing you will f*cking do Felix.’ You throw at the man menacingly before walking towards the direction of the castle ‘Let’s go.’ You say and tighten the music box against your chest, cradling it like it was of outmost importance.  
  
The walk back to the castle was a silent one. Since your only walk in like forever had reached its end so fast, your mood immediately dived to the nadir and even the slightest of comments from the vampires’ part would mean war from your side. That’s why they kept quiet, only exchanging some few words among them. You didn’t need to turn around to see that the huge smile Felix had at first hadn’t left his lips yet and his burning gaze was melting your back away; still you didn’t do the slightest move to either stop him or kill him. The blush you had from before was still evident over your cheeks and you would die first before allowing him to see it. Demetri will tell him everything later either way, so why bother and work yourself up to slap them both? All that mattered was that you had your music box and that you were far away enough from Demetri to have your heart under control.  
  
Of course, trouble always seemed to have a special liking for you and once you passed the gates of the castle and were once again enveloped inside the darkness, you heard decisive steps coming your way before an angelic voice belonging to a small girl reverberated through the empty corridors.  
  
‘You must think you are something special since you saved Aro don’t you?’  
  
Jane was walking towards the three of you, her burgundy eyes nailed on your small form with nothing but malice yet luckily for you, Demetri had spotted the girl long before you did and was now taking a protective step in front of you, sealing you away a little bit from Jane’s lethal glare.  
  
‘What business brings you here Jane? We are just returning from our walk.’ The tracker kindly informed the small girl, a careful smile dancing at the edges of his lips, trying to keep the situation under control. He knew very well what she was capable of and one wrong move would mean pain for any of you three.  
  
‘I wasn’t talking to you Demetri. My business is with her.’ She barks at him, pointing with her head towards you.  
  
‘No I don’t f*cking feel special Jane.’ You throw at her before Demetri had the chance to speak at all ‘I actually did what you were supposed to do. Protect the f*cking masters. And you, oh almighty-pain-master-Jane, failed at it.’  
  
The bitter words left your lips long before you had the chance to control yourself. Instead, the moment you realized what you had just uttered, was the moment you saw Jane tighten her lips into a thin line and then everything went black for you. You were enveloped inside Jane’s mental fire long before you had the chance to prepare yourself for them and once again, you felt your whole existence being set ablaze, just like when you were at the dungeons. Everything was lost from all around you and your agonizing screams of utter pain never reached your ears.  
  
And then they were gone.  
  
As fast as they had come.  
  
You found yourself lying on the cold ground, with Demetri’s hands trying to keep you from further hurting yourself. His eyes relaxed when he saw you were back, yet your attention soon turned towards Jane once again.  
  
‘You insolent brat!’ she screamed.  
  
‘I can understand you Jane; it’s only reasonable to be hormonal since you are frozen into your teenager state.’ You throw at her face with pure irony ‘Also, Barbie called; she wants her hair back!!!’ you laugh.  
  
You are delivered inside the flames once again. The pain is undiminished and utterly excruciating, yet you don’t regret your words at all. No matter how much Jane takes pleasure in torturing you, you were never going to back down from throwing her mean remarks whenever she called for them, even if it ultimately costs you your life. You were not going to be afraid of Jane and her painful mind tricks. Hell, you weren’t afraid even of the Volturi masters themselves.  
  
The flames disappear once again and the moment your eyes open, you see the retreating back which belongs to Jane and somewhere behind her, a dark-haired figure.  
  
‘Your painful abilities fit your looks perfectly Jane!’ you throw at her once again, trying to taunt her even more, but the female doesn’t reply.  
  
In response though, Demetri leans over you, his clearly amused ruby eyes searching for yours and once he finds them, he smiles.  
  
‘You never give up do you?’ he chuckles ‘I like that about you.’


	18. Chapter 16 Ascending Light

** _~ One Month Later ~_ **

  
  
The whole forest was being delivered to the insatiable fire.  
  
Huge fir trees that reached until the eye could see, far beyond five to ten meters, were being turned into crisp and all life form that happened to reside among the trees were now fleeing for their lives, trying to get as far away from the lethal danger as possible. The once dark sky was now littered by the dancing flames and the pieces of ash that danced along the furious wind and the midnight sky was lightened up by the orange glow coming from the flames. It was as if the pits of Hell itself had opened up and all the fiery demons were unleashed, destroying whatever they found in their way. Still, it would take some time for the mortals residing around the area to notice the fire and by then, the damage would have already been made. Inside the flaming forest though, there are a few more figures running and colliding with each other, in a death battle like no one had ever seen. Both sides were on spar and for quite a few moments, you just couldn’t discern if there would be a winner at all.  
  
It all started with a simple task; there was a certain clan inside the deep forest of Germany –more specifically the Black Forest- that needed a simple reminder about the Volturi rules. No big fuzz had to be made. Only remind them that they are being watched and should therefore behave themselves accordingly. What was a routine mission for you and the two vampires that always accompanied you, soon turned into a lethal battle for both survival and punishment when not one, but three immortal children made their appearance along with the clan. You didn’t need to see Demetri’s jaw clenching and him taking a protective step in front of you to shield you off their ominous eyes or the low yet menacing growl coming from Felix’s mouth to know that you were in for big trouble.  
  
And big trouble they were.  
  
After a while you had actually lost the sense of time and your brain focused solely onto your survival and to those of your teammates, while all of you ran through the rich flora in order to locate your targets and escape the hellish flames. A few members of the other clan had already fallen and their immortal bodies were burnt –something that was the trigger for the huge fire right now- yet the immortal children were still on the loose along with the remaining of their parents and the three of you were fast on their tracks, only to engage into a battle like no other you had seen inside the Volturi clan.  
  
‘Felix on your right!’ you scream to warn the vamp-Hercules as you slash the air with your hand, your air vortex hitting the vampire that was about to grab the man from his neck right as he spread his hands threatenly, finding him straight into his chest.  
  
Felix turned and lunged at him with a deranged growl reverberating from deep within his monstrous chest and you turn to locate your next target, only to hear a man scream from right behind you.  
  
‘Sie werden sterben, weiß Schnitter!’  
  
The breath that was about to come out of your lungs is shortly stopped, right at the same moment that your eyes open wide with surprise; a hand grabs you into a lethal grip and you are pulled against a cold wall that moved, as the vampire used his inhuman strength to lift you up from the ground, preparing to break your neck with a single move. He would have certainly succeeded if you hadn’t stepped in the air and pushed your body backwards; grabbing his head and making a perfect arc with your body you step steadily on the ground behind him, pulling him along and throwing him on the cold floor. His luxurious red eyes are fast to fill with surprise, but before he even had the chance to raise his hands to protect himself, the air vortex finds him right on his neck and his blond head rolls to the side, surrendering him into the numbing embrace of Death.  
  
You barely have time to catch your breath, before catapulting yourself among the flaming trees once again. Out of the corner of your eye, you had seen Demetri battling with three of the immortal children and one of the adults, managing to kill two of the kids before he was lost inside the forest and out of your sight. Seeing that Felix had everything under control, you rush to aid the vampire tracker, even if your own body was already at its limit; the air around you had long ago turned utterly suffocating and burned your lungs with each breath you took as your mortal body had begun to get tired from all the fighting, since various wounds were adorning it from head to toe, deteriorating your perfect state rapidly and making your muscles ache with a pain like no other. Still, this does not stop you from running with everything you had, clenching your jaw firmly to push the pain away from your mind as you dart forward and towards Demetri.  
  
It doesn’t take you long to find him.  
  
There was a tearing sound that caught your attention and your head immediately turns to a more darkened spot of the forest, immediately spotting Demetri being thrown to the ground and the adult vampire wrapping his hands tightly around his neck, before retracting one of them and preparing to decapitate the man with a single blow of his. The terror that seized you at this very moment was nothing like you had ever experienced and it would be strong enough to trap you in place in any other situation, yet you urge it not to this time; your conscience falls back inside your head and you are experiencing whatever is happening like you are a viewer through your very own eyes, unable to do anything; just like when someone goes to the movies. To your utter joy nevertheless, you see yourself literally eject yourself onto the vampire, paying no attention to the fact that he can kill you with a single blow, proceeding with wrapping your legs around his torso, raising your hand in the air and with a penetrating scream, you create a sharp air blade and proceed to stab him straight in the neck.  
  
Again.  
  
And again.  
  
And again.  
  
The taken aback vampire stumbles backwards and tries to concentrate enough to remove you from him, but the maniacal frenzy that has taken over you offers him no chance. Demetri is released from the dangerous grip and his burgundy eyes are nailed on the retreating form and no one else but your small frame that keeps hitting the vampire while victorious screams leave your lips. From your point of view, you can see nothing but the vampire’s exposed neck; thinking that he was about to hurt Demetri, you feel the sheer rush of hatred towards him for that single act. Everything around you acquires a bright red tint that has nothing to do with the hellish fire which is engulfing everything around you. Then, right when the vampire regains his ability to think and his hands fly dangerously towards your legs, ready to break them, you grab a hold of his rich hair and with a loud scream you slash his neck wide open, the transparent blade of wind cutting it from side to side. The body subsides, but acting quickly, you manage to step on your own two feet and deprive yourself from falling down along with it, proceeding to throw the decapitated head on a nearby bush that was on fire.  
  
Before you had the chance to react though, two sturdy hands get a grip around your fragile own and you are pushed against a sturdy chest ‘Are you alright ____? Did he hurt you anywhere?’ Demetri’s surprisingly calm voice reaches your ears, at the very same moment that his divine scent does as well.  
  
You scoff ‘Shouldn’t I be the one to ask that?’ you were about to say something else as well, just to reassure the worried man, but the strong smoke finally penetrates your lungs and a violent coughing fit erupts from your lungs.  
  
‘We should probably get you out of here; the fire is getting stronger.’ Demetri comments and leans you even more against him, but as he does that, you notice a small light flash from right behind him, coming straight through the trees behind you; barely even noticeable, you sincerely thought it was just your imagination, yet you knew all too well that it wasn’t.  
  
The almost invisible whip made out of pure air is catapulted under Demetri’s arm in mere seconds and slashing the air in half, it manages to wrap around something really steady; whatever it was though, it was running towards the opposite direction of where the two of you were standing. If Demetri wasn’t there and hadn’t tightened his grip around you, you would have most probably been pulled behind the creature as well, flying behind it like a flag or plastic bag. Thankfully for you though, you see Demetri tighten his jaw and his sturdy hand shots in the front, grabbing the air rope and with a fluid motion pull it backwards like it was nothing more than a mere rag. You would have never guessed what would be tied on the very other end of it though; Demetri saw it long before your human eyes allowed you and his majestic eyes tightened in pure anger and dismay, making you avert yours to see what had such an effect on him. Only to see a girl being dragged towards the both of you.  
  
She had bright red hair, maybe a tone or two lighter than Victoria’s and she was roughly around your own age; she belonged to the small coven which was the target of your attack tonight and you remember her close to her friends, smiling kindly to you. Now, she was lying against the ground with the air rope tightly wrapped around her neck as she was being pulled backwards; loud screams were coming out from her lips and her hands were desperately trying to claw on something and stop the retreat, but alas, Demetri was way stronger than her. Eventually, the rope forced her to flip on her back, allowing you a full view on her screaming face as her terrified eyes met with your own. If she was still a human, she would be bawling her eyes out.  
  
‘Weiß Schnitter ersparen Sie mir! Ich will nicht sterben! Bitte! Bitte!’ she cried out in a heavy German accent.  
  
Your mouth fell open, unable to stay cold and ruthless in front of the young girl who was surely begging you, her bright red eyes nailed on you, but the eye contact was briefly broken when Demetri took a protective step in front of you sealing you away from her pleading stare.  
  
‘Es gibt keine Gnade für die Geächteten. Die Volturi Gesetz ist absolut. Es werden keine Ausnahmen gemacht.’  
  
All you heard next, was her terrified scream.  
  
  


**~ * ~**

  
  
‘So how was the mission?’ Gianna asked you, taking a dress out of the clothes hanger and holding it up so you could take a good look at it.  
  
You nod dismissing it ‘You know, the usual; a bit bloody with a forest in ashes just your typical Thursday night.’ you breathe out, voice filled with irony, not particularly towards Gianna, but towards the whole incident. The green eyed woman chuckles in delight and you hand the clothes you were holding to the polite retail assistant who was standing close to you in order to help out.  
  
It was just a few hours in which you had come back from your mission in Germany and since you found yourself utterly unable to even get a few minutes of sleep, you decided to take on Gianna’s suggestion and go shopping with her in the busy streets of Voltera. It was quite the nice way to get your mind off from things, since Aro was the least happy to hear that in your attempt to kill the vampires, you had burnt down half of the Black Forest. The most infuriating thing of them all though, was that you got away without a scratch whatsoever, while Demetri and Felix had their asses whooped by Aro; to your relief though, nothing major was done to them. It didn’t help you calm your nerves at all and that only helped you decide on going out for shopping-until-there-is-no-one-standing-anymore, since Gianna told you it was the Volturi who were paying the bill. Yes, pretty pathetic way to get back at Aro for scolding the two guards, but let’s be honest here- it is the only way you got.  
  
‘Was it that terrible getting scolded by Aro?’ Gianna’s smile dropped as she looked at you with sympathetic eyes.  
  
‘Going another round with Jane would have been more enjoyable if you ask me; even if he didn’t scold me, watching him treat Demetri and Felix like that got on my nerves. It wasn’t their fault; how were they supposed to know they were Immortal children along with the clan?’ you exclaim furiously, managing to draw the attention of several customers who walked the aisles of the shop along with you, but thankfully for you, they were mostly unable to understand a thing you were saying.  
  
Still, all the extra attention made you lower your volume a little bit as you gazed at Gianna, whose face turned a bit skeptical.  
  
‘Seeing others being treated unfairly is surely infuriating.’ She said, more to herself than to you, but after that, her green eyes nailed themselves on your (e/c) own and she smiled conspiratorially ‘Are you getting softer towards them ____?’  
  
For a moment, you looked at her like she spoke into an alien language, one which you had never heard before in your lifetime. The words slipped out her mouth and reached your ears indeed, yet the meaning of them failed to be processed at first. You blinked, looking at her big smile and then, realization dawned to you. The meaning of her words was carved into your very own brain with burning letters and almost immediately, a mixture of anger and shame poisoned your heart, rushing to conquer your veins and spread throughout your whole body like wildfire; it covered your skin like miasma and made your cheeks flare up with a warm, red color.  
  
‘What?!’ you almost screamed at her.  
  
‘Oh, you heard me loud and clear mia cara.’ She simply shrugged.  
  
You sigh deeply, trying not to charge against your best friend and only human around ‘You have an interesting way of looking at life in a romantic way Gianna. There is literally nothing going on; especially between Demetri and me.’  
  
Gianna’s smile became even wider ‘When did I say anything about Demetri _____?’  
  
You looked at her. If you were a cartoon character, many question marks would have appeared hovering over your head, since you had no clue of what she was talking about.  
  
Wait.  
  
Oh…no.  
  
Oh no!  
  
What on absolute f*cking hell did you just blurted out? Why the f*ckidy f*ck did you say that? No, you don’t need the sudden quickening of your heartbeat to know you are having a heart-attack right in the middle of the shop; your brain was long ago suffering a stroke. All thoughts abandoned your mind like sailors on a sinking ship and your ears were overwhelmed by the pounding of your heart beat who suddenly decided to move to your ears. Whatever blood was coursing through your veins gathered itself on your cheeks in a mere second and not only your cheeks, but your ears as well turned into the brightest red color human kind had ever seen in its existence. Suddenly, your legs had grown as weak as jello and you would highly prefer going up against Victoria, Laurent and resurrected James all at once, than stand here under the penetrating gaze Gianna was giving you. Why the hell did you say that?  
  
On fire as it was, your brain decided to offer you a possible way out of the extremely awkward situation by grabbing the first thing on your way –a truly fuggly blouse- and focusing its whole attention on it for dear life. It was the ugliest blouse you had ever seen, but it was your anchor to calmness and aid to stir the conversation to other matters. Surprisingly, Gianna seemed to like it and soon enough you were talking about the latest trends once again, ending up with buying the ugly blouse as you made your way out of the shop and onto the lively streets of Voltera. The moment you stepped a foot outside, out of the corner of your eye you saw two random Volturi guards who were send to escort you, withdraw from the shadows and walk in a safe distance behind you, but you had already become accustomed to these kinds of things.  
  
Today marked a month since you had first joined the Volturi and things like that had become everyday life. Whenever you went outside of the castle –the very few times you did- you always had someone along with you, to make sure that you were safe and you wouldn’t run away as well. Sometimes it was Felix; most of the times it was Demetri and some very rare times some other Volturi guard. The more you were around the vampires though, the more you seemed to come in terms with their existence in your life, trying to tolerate them the best you could, even if you indulged yourself in teasing Demetri mercilessly from times to times. He did get his vengeance back in your training lessons that became tougher and tougher with each passing lesson though, so no hard feelings from both sides. Still, you kept sending letters to your father every single day and even added some special letters for Embry as well. These letters were the only reminders of your normal and peaceful life back at La Push, a life that was starting to slip further and further away from your grasp; it was both terrifying and unbelievable. So, even if you never got a letter in return, you still kept writing feverishly to them, hoping and wishing that maybe, just maybe, you would see them again one day. Thankfully –and mark the lack of irony in that- you had the missions to keep your mind off from things. Otherwise you would have given a try to the only means of salvation you had. A permanent solution.  
  
‘The word around the castle is that your lessons with Demetri are going well.’ Gianna smiled at you as you took a turn and the clock tower came into view from afar.  
  
‘The vampires don’t have anything else to do than gossip about my lessons huh? Interesting.’ You chuckle.  
  
‘Oh, you know mia cara. It’s not every day one of them trains a human.’ Gianna admitted.  
  
You shrug ‘I guess you are right.’ You breathe out ‘And they are right as well; my lessons are getting better and better with each passing day. It’s tougher for Demetri to manage and break through my protective wall and I don’t panic when in hand-to-hand combat anymore. My powers are helping me out as well and I’ve learnt not to use too much energy on them, so the risks are lower.’  
  
‘Master Aro is indeed happy with your progress. Plus, I haven’t seen Demetri more focused on something other than the missions.’ She admits.  
  
‘Is that a good thing?’ you ask curiously as both of you pass the bubbling fountain. Your gaze wanders on it for a split second and you can’t help but feel like it was just yesterday you had first came into the castle.  
  
Though Gianna doesn’t notice a single thing ‘It is, I guess. Demetri is a man of focus if you ask me and only fools around with girls when he is extremely bored; from what I’ve seen in the past month, he seems rather focused on you and not anyone else, while he is way hyper than any other time I’ve seen him. If that is a good or a bad thing, you will have to decide for yourself; he seems to fancy you.’  
  
‘Fancy me huh?’ You say while your eyes focus in the distance and you can clearly see him in your head, smiling just like he did when you were dancing at the ball. Maybe he would be considered cute if he smiled more often…. ‘To me it seems like I am something like another mission for him.’ your voice is almost bitter.  
  
Gianna looks at you and hides a sigh. ‘How about we go find Felix? I need to tell him about his new mission and I seriously need to sit down for a bit after this shopping spree.’  
  
‘Ok. If he is waiting for a new mission, then I bet he’s definitely in the weapon room.’ You say smiling. You had really grown to like Felix’s simplicity of mind over the past month, along with the feeling no one would ever even look at you in a funny way when he was around, threatening to turn into smithereens anyone that dared do so. If you excluded his murderous nature and maliciousness, he was a rather hyper and protective person.  
  
‘Let’s go then.’ Gianna says.  
  


**~ * ~**

  
The door opened and you had finally arrived at the small weapon room, located right beside the small elevator that had once led you to the dungeons. It was rather small, all made out of the same grey marble as the rest of the castle, with no windows, and casings filled with weapons covering each and every wall. The whole place was illuminated barely by the small chandelier hanging from the ceiling, not enough to chase away all the shadows that still lurked on the corners. You had been in there only once and it was rather enough.  
  
‘Felix.’ You heard Gianna say.  
  
The tall man turned to look at the new arrivals while holding a double axe on his two hands, just as if he was holding a toothpick and not a ten kilos weapon. Looking at him, you couldn’t stop yourself from noticing that he looked more like a giant than an actual vampire. Vamp-Hercules indeed. In that thought, you smiled without realizing and surprisingly enough, he returned that smile back.  
  
‘Hello ladies.’ his deep voice was heard while he was placing the weapon back to its original place on the wall ‘How can I help you? ’ he said while grabbing a lighter spear and proceeding to throw it to you, with you catching it in mid-air out of reflex.  
  
‘Well, I have your next mission in my office, so whenever you’re ready drop by to get the information needed.’ Gianna said ‘And with that said, I have some things to take care of so I’ll be leaving first.’ She said and opened the door, leaving both of you alone.  
  
The moment the door closed right behind her, you were vaguely aware that you were left alone with the murderous vampire, something that hadn’t happened in all the days you were in here; Demetri was always around with some clever comment, something that you wished you had right now that you felt rather awkward. So, without a moment’s hesitation, you hand Felix the spear and decide to take a leave as well, turning and heading to the door.  
  
‘Actually’ Felix spoke up ‘Can you stay around some more _____?’  
  
_Well, that’s a surprise_, you think to yourself. Your hand hovers over the doorknob and the urge to just ignore him and walk out is strong inside you head. Just a small movement and you would be away from the vampire.  
  
‘Well why not?’ You say smiling politely and surprising even you own self ‘I could use some of your knowledge on weapons.’  
  
Felix chuckles, his laugh echoing inside the small room ‘First time hearing you say a kind word kitty.’ He admitted.  
  
You folded your hands over your chest ‘You want me to leave Felix? I can ask Demetri for help if you are not willing to.’  
  
‘No, no, Demetri is with Master Aro at the moment, so I’m the only one you have.’ He smiled deviously ‘So, this spear I handed you earlier will help you enough if you learn how to properly use it. You’re not strong enough for a sword or an axe, so I believe this will fit you.’ He said while taking it in his hands again ‘Needs a bit of hand power which, in your case, there’s none on your right hand am I right?’  
  
‘Yes’ You say and press your lips in dismay, something he fails to notice.  
  
‘So take it.’ He said while handing it to you once again ‘The secret is to put power on your legs not your actual hands. You hold it like this ______, placing your dominant leg behind and with your free hand raised, you throw it while pushing with your leg power.’  
  
You followed his instructions carefully and once the spear left your hand, it landed on the wall across on some swords and as a result, everything fell to the ground.  
  
‘Sorry.’ You said while rushing to pick them up from the floor, doing a pretty clumsy job while you were at it, feeling Felix’s amused gaze nailed on your back.  
  
‘Perfect.’ He said while laughing. ‘At least you hit the target am I right?’ he said and his laughter became louder making you laugh as well while a sword fell off your hand to the ground once again.  
  
‘Here’ He said while coming closer ‘Let me help; you don’t actually have time to put them in place.’  
  
‘What do you mean?’ You ask a bit puzzled, looking at him closely to see any hidden meaning behind his words. You didn’t like this one bit.  
  
‘Nothing. It’s just that as I was coming here I think I heard someone saying that he would wait for you to come back in order to go out for a walk.’  
  
‘Me? Who?’ You ask a bit confused.  
  
‘I don’t know I didn’t turn to see whose voice it was’ he says evenly, without much emotion in his voice, something that strikes you as rather odd.  
  
‘Then thank you I guess.’ You mumble ‘I’ll come again so you can tell me more about swords because I kind of prefer using them in fights when it comes down to using them at least.’ You say and give the sword you are holding to him.  
  
‘You don’t have to thank me.’ He offers you a small smile, which was truthful for the first time since you had ever met him. It made him seem rather calm and harmless if it was even possible ‘It’s actually something selfish I do because you kind of remind me of my sister. I used to teach her as well about the right use of weapons.‘ the smile that graced the Mount Vampeverest’s lips this time was a genuinely sad one.  
  
From his tone, you didn’t have trouble imagining what happened to his sister, something that made a small pinch of sadness creep its way inside your heart. Maybe you had forgotten that even if they were vampires, they did have families at some point. They weren’t too different from the Cullens on that ground. You preferred not to press the matter more and you just nodded while going towards the door.  
  
‘And also, remember _____, nothing is just what you see; open your eyes because there are things that you seem to ignore.’ Felix said with a wink and a sly smirk.  
  
You didn’t understand where that came from but you didn’t have the time to ask ‘Thank you.’ you repeated and closed the door behind you.  
  
The journey back to your room was a brief one, with your thoughts driven on far away lands, where the families of all those vampires you met inside the castle were. It was the very first time realization dawned to you that the Volturi too had families and normal lives at some point; some of them were bound to have tragic stories like Esme, Alice and Rosalie and what saddened you more was the complete ignorance and bad attitude you showed towards those people. You were ashamed. And you should be. If your dad was there, he would surely scold you for being so short-sighted and failing to see the individuals behind the masks.  
  
‘What was I supposed to do? I am nothing but a prisoner here.’ You mumble to yourself once you have entered your own room –and only shelter- and leaned against the door for support, since your knees were giving out on you.  
  
Felix seemed genuinely sad when he mentioned his sister back there, breaking out of his usual happy character. Who knew what other stories you would eventually discover? Even Demetri might be hiding tragic facts from his human days.  
  
In that though, you felt even sadder.  
  
Shaking your head in a desperate attempt to chase the pestering sadness away from your heart, you decide to relieve some of the intolerable tension by taking a nice and warm shower. So walking to the bathroom, you close and lock the door behind you before proceeding to completely strip from your clothes. Tossing them to the laundry bin, you walk inside the shower and turn the faucet on, with the relaxingly hot water fast to cascade on you. Without controlling it, a deep sigh erupts from the depths of your heart, making it feel a bit lighter if it was ever possible.  
  
Letting your thoughts roam free, you suddenly remember a really small detail: a month before, Demetri had mentioned to you that he had came across more Distorters in the past and with you not wanting to press the matter even more, you had decided to investigate it yourself when you would have the time. Now that you looked back on your busy month –who was flooded with never-ending missions- you can see why the thought slipped your mind. But right after you are finished with your shower, you had nothing else to do.  
  
This was your first, solid chance.  
  
Stepping out of the shower, you wrap a dry towel around your body before sitting down in front of the vanity table and drying your hair. Once you would be done, you would change into some new clothes and head straight to the library.  
  
Alas, when you do walk inside your room, your attention is immediately drawn to a new pair of clothes which you had never seen before, gently resting on the bed, accompanied with a small note.  
  
Curiosity overwhelmed you rather instantly, so taking the note in your hands, you open it. Inside, only a few words were written in the most calligraphic letters you had ever seen.  


_Wear these and be ready by ten o’clock_.

  
Averting your gaze at the only clock in the room, you notice that you have only half an hour to get ready. Time seemed to have passed by rather quickly and it was already late at night. Yet who had left these here? The note didn’t have a name… An anonymous letter that ushered you to change into the clothes a stranger provided for you and still you decided to go along with it, just to see what would eventually happen. Maybe next time you will jump off a cliff if anyone tells you so…..wait. Bella did that actually.  
  
Damn.  
  
Wearing the clothes though, you can’t help but notice that whoever gave them to you, had quite the amazing taste in fashion.  
  
It was a cosy dark blue knitted dress, made out of flattering stretch fabric with terry toweling texture. With an abstract pattern, the fitted style was rather elegant with sleeves reaching down to the elbow and a round neck, while it barely reached down to cover your knew. The shoes that accompanied it were light grey rockstud suede ankle boots, with leather harness straps, round toe and somewhat low heel. They matched perfectly with the light grey biker jacket, made out of wool with an asymmetric front, a sharp collar, gun metal pockets and contoured seams to create the perfect fitted shape. The whole outfit was completed by a pair of sapphire and diamond cluster earrings and a cushion shape sapphire and two half moon diamonds solitaire ring, which you guessed probably cost more than all the money both your father and Embry’s mom ever made.  
  
Fixing your hair a little bit, you keep your (e/c) orbs nailed on the clock, waiting for something to happen.  
  
The clock was going to point exactly ten o’ clock in a minute.  
  
Something was bound to happen.  
  
‘I must admit that my choices for your clothes were right on spot. You look utterly breathtaking.’  
  
A voice sounds out of nowhere, taking your distracted brain by surprise. You were so engulfed in keeping an eye out to the clock that you never heard of the man walking inside your room, so inevitably, your reaction is immediate. Surprise penetrates your mind and heart and sheer terror rushed through you; your eyes open wide and a terrified scream leaves your lips, the moment you turn abruptly to gaze at the intruder, ready for any possible scenario.  
  
Yet instead of coming face to face with a true monster, your eyes meet with the clearly amused face of Demetri.  
  
‘You scared the hell out of me!’ you exclaim, covering your heart with your hand and inhaling a deep breath in order to calm yourself down.  
  
‘It wasn’t my intention, believe me.’ He smiles ‘Though I found your reaction rather amusing.’  
  
In response, you offer him a cold glare ‘Good to know that you enjoy having others terrified.’ You fold your hands over your chest ‘What do you want Demetri?’  
  
Demetri offers the angry you a wide and cocky smile, taking a slow and calculated step towards you like it was nothing, but your eyes narrowed on the handsome vampire who appeared even more breathtaking in his light grey attire. His hair was messily pulled up, exactly as he had it in the ball. Now that you thought about it, he seemed to have them like that ever since then. And you clearly remembered complimenting him about it. In the thought he kept it like that because you liked it, a warm feeling spreads throughout your chest.  
  
‘I took the liberty of planning something for just the two of us tonight. Hence the [clothes](http://www.polyvore.com/winter_choices/set?id=204785657).’ He smiled as his gaze wandered up and down your form, with a certain hunger which made his red eyes glow with a dangerous undertone ‘We will be going out tonight.’  
  
His announcement made you scoff. Still, you didn’t fail to notice that he took another step towards you. Instinctively, you took a step backwards, trying to act as if nothing was happening when his watchful eyes noticed the movement.  
  
‘I’m not going anywhere with you. I want to have a vamp-free night if you don’t mind.’  
  
‘I do mind actually.’ He admitted casually ‘You will be joining me and there is nothing you can do about it.’  
  
He took another step towards you.  
  
Your lips became nothing but a straight line ‘No.’  
  
Demetri’s eyes glimmered with a dangerous hue ‘Is this your final answer?’  
  
‘Yes.’ You reply calmly.  
  
Demetri lets out a deep chuckle, one that reverberated like a gunshot inside your head and quickened your heartbeat, making your lips half open in a gasp and your feet take a small step back all on their own. Why? Because Demetri was no longer standing right before you; in the fragment of a second your eyes needed to blink, the man had disappeared and you barely had time to register what was going on, before a light breeze brushed against your face and earth was lost under your feet. Two iron vises grabbed you hard and picked you up, pulling you against a sturdy chest, all that before you even had the chance to inhale. Once your brain took in the information, you saw Demetri’s cocky grin from way too close as it dawned to you that the man had picked you up bridal style.  
  
And he looked too damn happy about it now that he gazed into your stupefied face, with you unable to react for the very first time.  
  
‘Then I ask for your forgiveness ______, because I will make you.’  
  
All you saw was him walking up to the window, open it and to your utter horror, jump.  
  
Air rushed harshly all around you, enveloping your bodies as you fell and unwillingly making you shriek, throwing your hands around Demetri’s neck and holding onto him for dear life as gravity pulled you ten floors down; you were so sure both of you were going to crash hard against the ground, instantly being turned into pulp, that you shut your eyes firmly and prepared yourself for the inevitable impact. You never believed you would die like that but here is fate to prove you wrong. Only that the impact never came.  
  
‘Open your eyes.’ You hear the sweet and deep voice of Demetri whisper gently in your ear, with his thumb gently stroking your back in an attempt to soothe you.  
  
Once you do, you realize you are in the narrow alleyway next to the Castle. The street is only lit by the piercing moonlight, yet in the corner you can make out a few citizens walking up and down. What draws your attention though –other than the fact Demetri is still holding you in his arms- is the [Ferrari](http://media.caranddriver.com/images/15q1/654923/2016-ferrari-488gtb-25-cars-worth-waiting-for-feature-car-and-driver-photo-657584-s-450x274.jpg) 488 gtb car parked right in front of you. With your jaw dropping to the floor, you see Demetri placing you carefully on your own two feet before opening the car door for you and helping you inside. From your point of view, you were so taken aback with everything that happened in the last minute that you are rendered unable to react. Demetri takes his sweet time walking around the car, all the way to the driver’s seat and sitting beside you, he lit the engine and the luxurious car started with a soft buzz. What got on your nerves though was the smug smile that never left his lips.  
  
‘Put your seatbelt on.’ He advised.  
  
‘So now you care about my safety?’ you threw at him, but still fastened the belt around you. He made no comment.  
  
When the car eventually started its route, you could actually swear you were going with hundreds of miles per hour already, since the houses and narrow streets of Voltera had turned into nothing but a blur and along with that, you could actually hear the engine roar loudly. Cold sweat bathed you rather quickly as you swallowed hard, getting more comfortable in your seat, discretely grabbing the edges of it, preparing yourself for the moment you would see the light of the Afterlife, because it was sure you were going to crash; your pounding heart reassured you about it.  
  
‘I will not kill us _____.’ Demetri joked right when you passed Voltera’s gates and raced through the fields.  
  
‘Now you reassured me Demetri.’ You commented, folding your hands over your chest.  
  
He chuckles ‘I must admit; I love the way you say my name. I can hardly wait to make you scream it.’ he winks deviously at you, yet you only roll your eyes.  
  
‘Another pathetic flirting technique by Demetri Volturi ladies and gentlemen. Take notes on what you should avoid.’ You scoff icily.  
  
He doesn’t seem fazed at all though, as his laughter fills the close space, making your stomach warm up and your heart to beat faster.  
  
‘Why don’t you admit that you like my flirting _____? It will help you admit your feelings towards me as well.’ He simply shrugs.  
  
You look at him bewildered ‘If you think these pathetic attempts to flirt with me are going to work, I told you already that you are sadly mistaken. And also, you are a Casanova so don’t expect me to fall for you. Flirts aren’t for me.’  
  
‘This is what bothers you? The fact that I am popular with the ladies?’ he asks, quite pleased with himself.  
  
‘I don’t like sharing Demetri; you must already know that. And also, you are with Heidi, so you shouldn’t mess around.’ You say and look out of the window, avoiding his gaze which burnt the side of your face. The wave of anger being emitted straight from him alerted you that he didn’t enjoy what you had said in the least. Too bad; truth hurts.  
  
Eventually, you hear him sigh ‘Whatever happened between Heidi and me is ancient history. Don’t let it affect you.’  
  
‘Yeah, whatever.’ You said ‘Just tell me where the hell you are taking me in the middle of the night. I have better things to do than roam around endlessly with you as company.’ You turned and looked at him and to your surprise, a suspicious grin had appeared on his lips. You didn’t like this at all ‘Demetri.’ You said with frustration.  
  
‘Relax, it’s only a date, nothing much.’ He said calmly.  
  
‘Oh, a date….wait what?!’ you shouted.  
  
‘A date. I’m sure you’ve gone on a date before. Haven’t you?’ the irony in his voice was overbearing.. He was so annoying you had already thought of 10 ways to kill him at this exact moment.  
  
‘Of course I have. Not that this is any of your concerns.’ You said, trying to calm your mind. Even though minutes ago you were furious, now another emotion had taken over. Your strong heartbeat was so loud, that you wished for the very first time that you were a vampire, since that way you wouldn’t be betrayed by your own self.  
  
‘We’re here.’ Demetri suddenly announced, slowing the car until it completely stopped.  
  
Right before you spread an endless beach which reached even further from where the eye could see. Surrounding it, there was a sea of ancient olive trees that encircled the whole place, making t appear more secluded, but also adding points into its already wild beauty. The sand was illuminated by the strong moonlight and seemed to actually sparkle under the silver light. Waves reached the shore repeatedly, hitting the sand softly. To your utter surprise, you noticed people walking towards the beach, their moving shadows pointed out by both the moonlight and the small lanterns they held on their hands, as they advanced closer to the water.  
  
Demetri was outside your door in an instant and opening it with a courteous nod of a true gentleman, he helps you out. The moment you were standing outside, failing to withdraw your eyes from the majestic scenery around you, you felt the light breeze wave your hair gently as you took a big breath to fill your lungs with the rich aroma of the ocean. The vampire tracker passed your hand in his elbow gently, leading you steadily towards the sea. A smile creeps its way on your lips as you walk on the sand, looking around you to the rest of the crowd, who appeared to be both joking around and singing an Italian song you had never heard before; people of all ages had gathered here today and it filled your heart with joy to be among them.  
  
‘Why are all these people here?’ you turn to smile at Demetri, who hasn’t taken his watchful eyes even for a single second off from you, gazing deep down into your soul.  
  
He flashes you a dazzling smile ‘They are celebrating the coming of spring. Each year your kind gathers here and releases lanterns on the sky in hopes that their wishes will come true until the winter arrives once more.’ He explained to you.  
  
‘I see. It’s quite magical if you ask me.’ You admit, quite entranced with everything that surrounded you.  
  
‘That’s why I brought you here; I was rather sure you were going to like it.’  
  
‘Thank you.’ You blurt out as you see surprise penetrate his gorgeous characteristics, breaking though the vampire’s defenses and revealing his persistently lingering innocence ‘Thank you for thinking about it.’  
  
Demetri smirks ‘You don’t have to thank me.’ He says and turning his attention to a passing man who sold lanterns, they exchange some words and money and he hands him one, with Demetri turning to give it to you.  
  
‘For you Weiß Schnitter.’ He says with a smile, repeating the same words the girl in Germany had called you.  
  
‘What does that mean? The girl from yesterday called me that as well.’ You say, looking deep into his eyes to notice if he would lie to you or not.  
  
But he didn’t ‘It means White Reaper. The vampires we encountered this past month seem to have given you this particular nickname.’  
  
‘The white bringer of death? Doesn’t sound too good if you ask me.’  
  
‘If you think about it, it quite suits you: the human who kills vampires. White Reaper.’ He explained to you as you both stopped right in front of the sea and Demetri took your fragile hand in his, bringing it to his lips and kissing it lightly, making all of your thoughts go out like candles in the strong wind, all at the same time a shiver shot down your spine.  
  
‘Time to make a wish and release the lantern _____.’ He gently coos to the dazzled you.  
  
‘Don’t you want to make a wish too?’ you ask.  
  
His eyes flash and he nods ‘I don’t need wishes. I already know that I will have you whole by the time winter comes. And there is no changing that.’  
  
You swallow hard, trying to push away from your mind both his alluring words and the sly smirk as you raise your hand and release the small lantern, making one single wish.  
  
_You wished to go home._  
  
  
  


  
_ **~ * ~** _

  
  
Back into the Volturi castle, an obviously angered figure is moving threatenly against the leader of the bodyguards Felix himself, who nevertheless notices the approach immediately.  
  
‘Where is he?’ the voice echoes on the empty hallway.  
  
‘Where is who Heidi?’ Felix’s lips form a mischievous smile as the vampire female stops right in front of him, clearly beyond herself with anger.  
  
‘Don’t play dumb with me Felix!’ she yells at his face ‘Where is Demetri?’  
  
Felix laughs ‘He is a bit occupied right now.’  
  
‘He’s with the human right? That small mortal bitch!’ Heidi screams more to herself than to Felix ‘She’s going to pay for this. She’s going to pay!’


	19. Chapter 17 Downfall

Today marked the very first day that Voltera was plagued by heavy downpour, the rain cascading the perfectly silver skies since early this morning. The small town roads were completely emptied by any living soul while the thirsty stone houses –which were tortured by the warm sun these past few days- welcomed the chilling embrace of water with content. Large pools of water had formed on the pavement of the road and you couldn’t help but feel a certain pinch of homesickness, since everything reminded you of your days at Forks.  
  
Leaning against the vast window walls of your bedroom, you allow the coldness of the glass clear your mind to its very depths as you allow your gaze to wander into the roads, calmness and peacefulness invading your line of thoughts for the first time since forever. Rain mixed with the hauntingly beautiful sounds of the music box Demetri gave you, served to help bring your emotionless walls down and reveal your thirsty for calmness self. The truth was that you missed your father and Embry above all else and you would give anything to have a chance to talk to them and make sure they were alright. It wasn’t easy for you to live with the thought that they worried about your well-being, believing these vampires were the worst creatures walking planet earth. For the most part, they would surely be right, but that rule did not apply for every one of them. Since last night, your stern and bitter stance towards them was somehow soothed down a bit, mostly by the kind and chivalrous behavior of Demetri.  
  
He had taken you out for a date; as far as that went, you were not too happy about it at first, mostly because you always dreamt of your very first date being with someone you really liked and could see yourself with in the future (even if that was just a few months) and certainly, someone who belonged at the same species such as yourself. To your total surprise though, here was Demetri, the vampire tracker of the Royal Vampire Clan to prove you wrong once again. This guy must have made it his life’s goal to get under your skin and bring your walls down even if that is the last thing he would ever do. He took you out on the best date you could imagine, bringing you to a breathtaking beach in order to release lanterns in the magnificent night sky that was adorned with all of its stars and the moon, shining down on you. If you thought about it from an unbiased point of view, it was both original and romantic of him to take you there and it would be a downright lie to say you didn’t like it. He treated you like a true princess, making sure you loved each and every second you spend with him, never taking his luxuriously red eyes from your form as you smiled and finally brought down your walls. Even if he was a Casanova, you really had to admit his ways of enticing women were indeed mind-blowing.  
  
The last part was what made your mind go completely numb. Because you enjoyed yourself last night. You really enjoyed listening to his poor attempts to dazzle you with his words or his actions and before you even knew it, you were already laughing at his lame jokes. You! Miss Ice-Queen. Had he finally made his way under your skin or inside your brain? You were saddened to admit it was a good possibility. Every time you close your eyes, every time you inhaled and brought the memories of last night in your mind, you could actually _feel _his hands gently coming into contact with your own or your waist, electrifying your skin and sending wild shivers down your spine. His voice was enough to make all thoughts go out inside your mind and your stomach to feel completely empty, while you felt his eyes falling on you like a soft and alluring breeze. It was at that moments in which you flashed your eyes open and tried to deny everything. No, you didn’t feel anything, this was nothing!  
  
Alas, no matter how much you tried to deny or fool yourself, the truth was there to slap you hard across the face: you were allured and thrilled with Demetri. All you could think about was him and all you could dream of was him as well. The alluring man had finally succeeded into drilling his way into your brain and you were left completely unable to do a single thing. You wanted to be around him but at the same time you didn’t. It was clearer than the strong sunlight you were amazed by him, in a way you had never felt before, but it was also clear that this would probably get you to dark places; ebony black paths you should never cross. If you did so much as to allow these thoughts engulf you, you would be signing yourself up for disaster.  
  
Unfortunately, it was not on your hands to decide. The Wheels had already taken effect and there was nothing you could do anymore. Was there?  
  
‘You bitch must think you are really special. Don’t you?’ a mocking voice sounds from the door out of nowhere and turning, you see a pretty pissed off Heidi standing by the door to your bedroom.  
  
She had crossed her hands over her busty chest and her right leg was tapping the floor impatiently as her red eyes threw flames towards your petite form. Her attire consisted of the very same dress you saw her wearing when you first came here, only that it looked way more revealing now that you looked at it from up close. Still, no matter how much you wanted to comment on that fact or even tell her to go away, you didn’t. Honestly speaking, you didn’t have time to deal with her right now but from the looks of it, she was here to stay.  
  
‘You vampires tend to repeat yourselves too much lately. Jane beat you to it, so you better come up with a better insult Heidi.’ You calmly breathe out, focusing on the rain once again and feeling her wrath radiating towards you into huge waves of heat, which you chose to ignore as well.  
  
‘Oh really? Where were you last night bitch?’ she demands to know, taking a threatening step towards you, making your eyes pick up the movement from their corners. You were wearing your restrainer, so there was no way to dodge any of her possible attacks with your powers, but you relied on your skillful training if it came down to that. At least you would take something of hers along with you.  
  
‘It’s none of your damn business where I was. Did Aro died and made you the boss of me?’  
  
Heidi scoffs ‘I know your little tricks bitch and if you really think I will allow you to take Demetri away from me, you can go ahead and kill yourself already before I kill you myself-‘  
  
‘What was that? Sorry, I don’t speak idiot. Maybe you can try another time.’  
  
In your words, her majestic full lips form a devious smile as she leans her head down and takes a few steps towards you. Like a predator that was stalking its prey, her eyes may have been averted to the ground, but you knew all too well that her attention was focused solely on you, ready to land the first blow on the very first chance you would give her. For that apparent reason, you choose to keep yourself frozen solid exactly where you stood, following her every move with your eyes. Mentally, you prayed Felix or Demetri would hear the commotion and come inside saving the day, but if her whole matter was with the fact you went out with Demetri then things were bound to get ugly.  
  
‘Look bitch.’ She smiles you a threatening smile that pushes you on edge ‘I don’t know what game your pathetic little mortal self is playing, but all I have to say is BACK OFF from Demetri or I will personally make sure you ‘accidentally’ die in one of your pathetic little missions. Demetri is mine and no mortal doggie will change that.’  
  
Oh hell no. There was no way a narcissistic plain vampire-bitch would talk to you like that and get away with it.  
In response, you offer her a large smile, reaching from one ear to the other ‘Oh I’m sorry Heidi, I didn’t see any owner-stamps on Demetri’s ass to recognize he was yours, so you will excuse me but I will do whatever the fuck I want. No hard feelings right?’ you tilt your head to the side mockingly.  
  
Heidi’s eyes flash with pure anger and the female takes a threatening step that brings her inches away from your face, her eyes blazing with fire and a low growl coming out of her lungs as she raises her hand in the air ‘You bitch! I will-‘  
  
‘What?’ you interrupt her, mocking her straight in her face ‘You will kill me? Well I would love to see you try explaining to Master Aro how the last of the Distorter Clan died in a pool of her own blood with yourself as an only witness. I don’t think vampire claw marks are so easy to hide, so kudos to your stupidity, it just made your IQ reach negative points.’  
  
Heidi tilts her head to the side, her eyes narrowing on you ‘I bet you believe you are really smart. Too bad your ugly human self will not make Demetri even turn to look at you. Your pathetic life is a total joke.’  
  
You scoff mockingly ‘You know what they say Heidi; I can get plastic surgery for my ugliness, but you on the other hand will be stupid for eternity. My life may be funny since I am surrounded by you pathetic vampires, but at least it’s not as funny as your face.’  
  
‘Oh, I wouldn’t act all that smart if I was in your shoes human. Especially when people are lying straight in your face; even Demetri has been lying to you, because your pathetic human self has to be ‘protected and kept in calmness’, but I say screw you!’ she spits on your face, a cocky smile gracing her beautiful characteristics.  
  
Your eyebrows furrow in disbelief; what does she mean by being lied to? When did Demetri, Felix or any other vampire lie to you? All those emotions must have been written all over your face, because Heidi straightens her back and reaching inside her pocket, she withdraws a package of letters tightly tied together and she throws it straight on your chest. The knot comes undone and all the letters scatter around you, with you following their drop on the floor with your eyes, curious as to what they could be. But it was what Heidi said next that made your heart grow completely cold and shake you to the ground.  
  
‘These are all the letters you have been sending to your family back in the US. You sheepishly thought that Demetri was really sending them, but in reality he didn’t. Let that sink in for a bit and then you can tell me if he wants you or not.’ She throws at your face, before turning on her heels and exiting the room, leaving you all alone to hear your heart breaking in a million pieces.  
  
No breathing. You found yourself being unable to breathe as all you could do was stare in pure horror at the scattered letters all around you, trying with everything you had to believe that this was not what it looked like. It could simply be one of Heidi’s tricks right? No matter how much you tried to convince yourself about that, in the back of your head you knew; you knew these were the letters you send to your father, to Embry. At that moment, you could feel your blood run cold inside your veins and your mind grow completely numb. You watched helplessly as your self decided to kneel down and take some of the letters on your trembling hands, trying to think that maybe these weren’t yours. When you did flip them over and read the address though, you could practically hear your heart shattering inside your chest. Struggling to breathe, you try not to fall apart right there, right now.  
  
These were all the letters you had ever written to your family back at Forks. From the moment you first came in here and made a deal with Aro to stay but be allowed to send letters back to your family, you had been lied straight into your face, deceived by those treacherous creatures that dared walking planet earth. And here you were, thinking that maybe they weren’t that bad! You wanted to physically slap yourself across the face, kick and scream till your lungs give out in order to let the frustration break upon them, but you could do nothing. From the very start, you couldn’t do anything to oppose them and you knew it. Sincerely, you thought they were at least people with honor; that their higher status from the humans would grace them with at least some decency to keep their word no matter what, but here they were once again to prove you wrong. They were nothing but demons! Cold-blooded and treacherous leeches, unable to be trusted.  
  
Still, you wanted to hear it first hand; you wanted to hear the treachery from Demetri’s mouth.  
  
Blinking away the tears that threatened to form on the edges of your eyes, you scoop all the letters on your hands and rush to leave your room, going out to search for the vampire tracker that dared invade your line of thoughts. It was your entire fault; it was your entire fault for believing the sincerity of his actions and the truth of his ‘supposed truthful’ words. But no more. Now, you would demand a fair and square explanation, or you wouldn’t have to take your restrainer off to kill him on the spot. The more the elevator took to descent the floors and get to the reception area where you knew you would find both Demetri and Felix, the more anger bubbled inside of you like hot lava. You would need something far more than simply your self-control not to smite him upon eye contact and surely this unnecessary wait did nothing to help you. You just wanted to be told the truth for once in your life!  
  
So when the elevator doors open, you tighten your grip around the letters and walk out of it, keeping your gaze on them to make sure you have them all. Everything was perfect all you had to do now was-  
  
You raised your head.  
  
Even in your darkest nightmares, you wouldn’t be presented with a spectacle like this one.  
  
Blood runs cold.  
  
Feet come to an abrupt stop.  
  
You inhale sharply.  
  
Eyes open wide with horrific and hellish surprise.  
  
A few meters away from you, just down the hall and next to Gianna’s desk, were indeed Felix and Demetri. The two Volturi guards were a bit too occupied to notice your arrival and it was the one they were busy with, that made horror run through your veins in abundance, shaking you to the core.  
  
Gianna was pushed against the cold wall of the entrance hall, her figure pressed against it with power, leaving no openings for the girl to move. Not that she would anyway. Because currently Felix had grabbed a fistful of her hair, having leaned down to her neck and bit her hard, with blood coming out like a red waterfall which stained both Gianna’s shirt and his chin. Next to him was none other than Demetri, having grabbed the poor girl’s wrist and having sunk his fangs deep into her flesh. Both of them were feeding off the woman right in front of your very own eyes, reminding you of vultures that were eating their defenseless prey. From the haunting look plastered on Gianna’s face, she was clearly pretty beaten up, obviously having tried to fend herself off against the powerful vampires. Her lips were half opened, trying to suck in the precious air, while her head was turned towards you with her once happy and lively green eyes having lost their spark and now looking at you lifelessly, barely even recognizing you as the vampires sucked her dry. Killing her. Eating her. Right in front of you.  
  
When you screamed, your voice piercing through the horrifying silence like a siren, you felt your self falling in the back of your mind at the very same time your body went on survival mode and Demetri turned his surprised face to stare straight into your terrorized eyes, his own widening in the surprise that shot through him with his mouth still dripping with Gianna’s blood.  
  
He opened his mouth and screamed your name, but all you did was to turn and run. With the letters leaving your hands, you payed them no mind as you dashed towards the elevator with all your might, trying to get as far away from the murderers as you could, trying to save your life from the monsters lurking right behind you. Before you had the chance to do so though, an iron grip grabs your arm harshly yanking you towards the enemy and making your heart drop inside of you, only to see Demetri holding you tightly, regret and fear painted across his face.  
  
‘Let me explain ______-‘  
  
You cut him off before he had the chance to finish his sentence yanking your hand so hard away from his grip, you were sure you would have bruises.  
  
‘Let me go, YOU MONSTER!’ you scream at his face, disgust and horror lacing your every word as your eyes literally flared with pure anger.  
  
Shock penetrates his majestic features, but before he has the chance to react, the doors of the elevator close behind you.


	20. Chapter 18 Wings Of Freedom

Rain cascades the dark grey skies.  
  
Pillows and bedcovers are wrapped into a messy knot on the bed, betraying the restless sleep of their inhabitant.  
  
Torn papers litter every single inch of the cold stone floor, fragments of written words constructing an unreadable labyrinth of letters.  
  
The music box that used to play restlessly for hours and hours is now closed and tossed to the side.  
  
Nothing but silence prevails around the room, interrupted only by the crackling sound emitted from the lively fire which dueled on the grand fireplace; nevertheless, its heat was not enough to reach all around the room, submerging the far edges of the dark bedroom in the penetrating cold which was rather odd for the very first days of spring. Was it really cold? Or did the whole world drop a few degrees since a certain someone was dead? For you, it surely looked like it. Without making any sound which could indicate you were awake –or even alive- all you seem to do these past few days is to stare out of the window oblivious to everything and ignoring everyone.  
  
Today was just another usual day. Nothing seemed to change. You were pulled from your nightmarish dreams by your very own screams, finding yourself tangled among your covers with cold sweat and tears running down your beautiful face. It was your own sobs that pulled you into awareness and in a rather odd way, you were glad about it, since alertness and consciousness kept Gianna’s soulless stare away from you for a few hours. Sleep seemed to elude you these past few days and you always, always woke up crying and screaming, the horror you had witnessed being too much for you to simply block away. Most of the times you saw Gianna urging you to escape, her dull eyes and pale hand reaching out for you in a deadly touch of cold skin against warm. Other times, you saw a blooded Demetri towering above you, a triumphant grin on his blooded mouth; you didn’t need to guess to know whose blood it was. Your choking sounds were enough.  
  
And then you would wake up. And awareness was just another nightmare of continuous stillness.  
  
As if by some sick joke, the weather outside the Castle’s walls continued to be nothing more than pouring rain with rare intervals of some lightning, reminding you tremendously of the weather back in your home; everything was dull and dark, as if the heavens mourned Gianna’s loss along with you. Coldness prevailed everywhere and it was just what you needed to keep your mind relaxed and cooled, as you leaned your weary head against the cold window, trying to ease some of the pain. Dark circles had made their way permanently under your eyes and your health was deteriorating with each passing day in extremely rapid degrees. Food was a huge no-no for you. The few times you even tried to swallow the once delicious meals prepared especially for you, they would end up with emergency trips to the bathroom in order to empty your stomach once again. The images flashing through your mind did nothing to help you keep the food down. Which only lead you to be weak with even the slightest of moves and made you paler than the vampires themselves. And you didn’t speak. Your lips had embraced one another and no sound came out from them no matter who was addressing you. Not Felix who tried to cheer you up somehow with some horrible jokes, not Aro who questioned you mercilessly about your well-being and if there was anything he could supply you with… not even Demetri.  
  
Vampire or not, he surely made his life goal to get on your nerves at first. He would come into your room and refuse to leave if you didn’t speak to him, apologizing again and again, in vain trying to explain what happened. That went on the first four days. When you gave no response whatsoever, he just loomed around all day long, making sure you wouldn’t die or leave his sight for a single moment. It was his betrayal that made your heart grow stone cold; it was the fact that he was the one to kill Gianna, knowing extremely well what she meant to you. You could forgive him for not sending your letters; but you could not forgive the murder of your best friend. Simple as that was, you did not want to see him or speak to him; not even know he was somewhere on this planet breathing the very same air as you.  
  
Alas, deep inside, you knew what the truth was. You simply couldn’t forgive yourself for ever forgetting who they really were. For forgetting where you were and who were the ones holding you captive, threatening and killing all of your loved ones. It was your entire fault.  
  
‘I see you have no appetite today as well.’  
  
The soft, velvet like voice reached your ears in a gentle whisper as the man who seemingly appeared out of thin air inside your cold room talked more to himself than to anyone else. Out of the corner of your eye, you could very clearly see him looking at your untouched tray of food like it was the saddest spectacle he had ever laid his eyes upon.  
  
Demetri let out a small sigh, his cold fingers brushing against the silver cup filled with water, as his thoughts travelled far beyond the vast room even if they did continue to revolve around the petite girl who had given up on life altogether. For the first time since forever, the sharp vampire had simply run out of words to say; what could he say if he did find the appropriate words? Only the mortal girl dwelling around the castle would ever be unlucky enough to stumble upon such a gruesome spectacle which was never meant for her fragile heart to witness. But you did. And now the worst fears arose inside Demetri’s long ago stopped heart; he was doomed to watch helplessly as you denied the sweet gift of life, choosing out of your own volition to perish right in front of his terrified eyes. No terror was even comparable to the one he felt right now. Give him the greatest of enemies and nothing would compare with the helplessness he felt as he watched life and light abandoning your majestic (e/c) orbs who were constantly plagued with tears refusing to fall these past few days.  
  
In his mind, all he wanted to do was get you to listen; to actually listen to him because no matter how many times he explained to you the fact that Gianna’s death was an order he could not disobey, you failed to listen to him. When he had taken you out on a date, he was more than delighted to see your walls coming down for the first time and your sincere smile dazzled him to the core, much more than he was allowed to admit even to himself. Out of all creation, out of all vampires and humans alike, you were the most beautiful soul he had ever came across in his entire existence; you lightened the world up with your smile and made angels and demons alike bow down to the sound of your laughter. You were so filled with Light. You were so pure, so breathtaking, radiating light wherever you went. So seeing you so consumed with darkness right now was equal to extreme physical pain for the vampire. All Demetri wanted was to grab your shoulders and scream to you not to abandon your light. For both yours and his sake.  
  
His fingers wrap carefully around the silver cup, the movement subtle, failing to be registered by his mind.  
  
He was not going to lay a single finger on you.  
  
And the reason for that was the sheer horror painting your empty eyes as you ran from him on the ground floor.  
  
_Let me go, you MONSTER!_  
  
_ MONSTER!_  
  
Monster.  
  
The silver cup under his fingers gets crushed, allowing the rich water to spill all over the food and his fingers, making Demetri let out a small annoyed sigh as he watched it drip down. His mind was working with a hundred miles per second, your voice echoing inside the empty valleys of his brain. With what horror, what spite and hatred did your voice drip with when you uttered those words… They had burnt Demetri like hot iron, both in his mind and his non-existent soul. They shouldn’t affect him like that, since he had heard them quite often in the past, alas it was your own voice that uttered them, completely crushing the unyielding vampire right in front of you. A monster. He really was one. He was a monster.  
  
‘Master Aro has hired a special tailor to assist you with planning your costume for the upcoming festivities.’ He simply said with his wine colored eyes fleeting to you but not daring resting on your form for long ‘The annual Carnival is fast approaching and she has arrived today to tailor it for you.’  
  
Your parched lips continue to be sealed shut as you listen to the gorgeous vampire speak, his voice muffling out the sound of the torrential rain. It was calming to listen to him; you didn’t want to admit it, but your body and mind relaxed in his presence. _Traitors_, you thought.  
  
‘So’ he continued on with undiminished interest ‘I have come to lead you to her.’  
  
Silence.  
  
If it was any other day, you would have simply told him to fuck off and everyone would have continued with their lives. But today, you chose to ignore him.  
  
Demetri sighed wearily ‘If you don’t come, I have orders to make you by Master Aro himself.’  
  
His gaze literally burnt off the back of your head and you could feel the weariness being emitted by the vampire like miasma falling on your clear skin. His pathetic attempts to scare you were absolutely laughable, but you had no strength inside of you anymore to mock him in any way. You were done playing games with them. All you wanted was for this to be over.  
  
‘Of course you are ordered Demetri.’ A simple whisper escapes your lips, barely audible after so many days without uttering a single word and screaming your lungs away when you woke up. The once familiar sound sounded alien even to you, yet you knew he heard you loud and clear as if you screamed the words ‘You will always do as you are ordered. Like a true puppet, you never even question if they are morally wrong or not.’  
  
Even if you were unable to see him, you knew his jaw was clenched. Still, his voice remained apologetic as it was all these days ‘_____’ he uttered your name cautiously ‘I want you to listen to what I-‘  
  
‘I wonder.’ You indifferently cut him off, hugging your knees and resting your chin on them, never allowing your gaze to stray from the world outside ‘Will you kill me as well if you were ordered to?’  
  
It was a struggle to keep your voice from cracking as you spoke those words; they were more of a rhetorical question and it crushed your heart to know the answer already. And since Demetri did not respond immediately, it was even more unbearable.  
  
You will not cry though.  
  
You won’t.  
  
‘_____’ Demetri spoke after a long pause, obviously choosing his every word very, very carefully ‘I would have taken everything back if I could. I would not allow you to witness such spectacle; but you already know that you are diff-‘  
  
‘I am what?!’ giving up on keeping your emotionless façade, you snap and scream.  
  
As your eyes meet with Demetri’s red own, you realize the man was in fact expecting your outburst after so many days of false calmness; he doesn’t even react, only closes his mouth and rests his hands on his sides as you snap your head towards him, your eyes blazing with pure anger and your voice dripping heavily with pure venom.  
  
‘I am different? You are seriously going to b*llsh!t me right now? I am different in what way? If my powers are bested by someone else or they seize to function altogether, you and I both know Aro is going to order you to dispose of me. So spare me the sweet talk.’ You spit at his face and weakly rush to stand on your weary feet, trying the best you could not to look as worn out as you truly were ‘You know very well that you would kill me in a heartbeat Demetri. All it would take is a snap of your fingers’ you proceed to imitate the motion ‘And I would seize to exist. I would be dead.’  
  
Now, it was his own red orbs which were consumed with the insatiable fires of anger ‘What must I do to make you believe I would never –ever- hurt you in any way?’ he demands to know, his voice low and dangerous.  
  
It would have been easy to believe his fierce statement. From the way his voice uttered those words, from the way his lean but muscular body tensed up in a way that made his muscles protrude gracefully from under his clothes, from the way his jaw clenched in sheer determination as his fists became two unyielding balls you would have believed the sincerity of his words. Only you couldn’t. The aura being radiated from the handsome man was one of calm determination and honor in the words he had just spoken, but after all the things you had witnessed, it was hard to believe this kind of statements. He was talking from the safe side of things; he was not the mortal above whom the pendulum of death was swinging all day long from the moment he stepped inside this cursed castle. All the dazzling inhabitants had made death seem like a faraway dream, alas reality was there to slap you across the face; these were not your friends, they were your enemies who dared to take everything away from you. Even Gianna. So it was preposterous of them to demand you believed these statements.  
  
When you manage to pull your lips into a smile, it was such a cold one, that Demetri’s pupils dilated in pure sorrow.  
  
‘That’s the problem Demetri.’ You whisper, your hands folding over your chest as if to keep your heart from falling out ‘You can’t.’  
  
Turning your back to the gorgeous man, you try your best to walk like a normal human being towards the exit of your room. It was impossible to ignore a straight on order from Aro and if you were going to be punished in the future, you would very much prefer it not to be because of a tailor. So trying to put one weary foot in front of the other, you allow Demetri –who was fast to rush silently by your side- to escort you out of the room where Felix was waiting. None of them say a word and silently, you were pretty happy about it. The problem right now is the fact you are a lot weaker than you thought. All those days with almost no food at all had taken a serious toll on you and your body was barely able to keep you standing up, let alone walk decently. Looking all around you with your tired eyes, you begin to wonder if the castle was always this cold or it was you that were cold. Unwillingly, your arms wrap around yourself in a desperate attempt to warm yourself up as you swallow hard and try to keep your focus on point.  
  
Your mind was nothing more than a mush of thoughts and memories wrapped tightly in a coat of fear something that resonated with your heart, making it beat so loudly, you were sure the two vampires where able to hear it loud and clear. Still, you were going to hold on to your pride and deny yourself any attempt to ask for help. The more you walked though towards a direction that seemed all too familiar, you don’t fail to notice your body growing weaker and colder with each step you took. Trying to keep your determination unwavering though, you clench your jaw tightly and keep walking with everything you’ve got.  
  
‘It will do you no good to freeze to death _____.’ Demetri speaks up, annoyance lacing his words and by the time you open your mouth to retaliate, you feel a soft fabric falling on your petite and fragile form.  
  
Your eyes open wide with surprise and your mouth half opens in awe as you see Demetri’s coat on your shoulders, the vampire man making sure you wouldn’t throw it down by resting his cold hands on your shoulders, in such a way that prevented you from shrugging it off. The coat was rather cold from the complete lack of body heat; still, you push your pride down for a single second and pass your hands through the sockets, safely wrapping it around you for warmth. Demetri says nothing, but his grip on your shoulders loosens considerably, even if the tightness of his jaw never abandons him.  
  
After a while of more silent walking, you realize you were walking on the very same corridor from which you had first come into the castle. Looking around you curiously, Demetri has to practically stop you to prevent you from crashing into the closed door as the three of you come to a stop right in front of it and proceed to knock. A shuffling sound comes from behind it and you clearly hear steps coming your way before the door creeks open and a girl emerges from behind.  
  
One single look over her small frame and you instantly know she is a human, just like you. She was around 5’ 5’ in height and her curious light brown eyes had what appeared to be two meadow green lines resting at the bottom of her orbs. Her short brown hair framed her oval face in a dark waterfall, while she appeared to be barely three to four years older than you. The moment she sees the three of you, a large smile graces her characteristics and she opens the door all the way.  
  
‘And you must be my model for the day.’ She exclaims, resting a fragile hand on her waist ‘Come on in, we have a lot to do. My name is Ania by the way.’  
  
In the sight of her bright smile, you can’t help the small one creeping its way on your own lips, as the girl moves to the side to allow you a free way inside the room before she closes the door behind you, leaving the two Volturi guards to guard the door. Once inside the small room, your gaze wanders on all the fabrics and tailor tools taking over each and every surface; the fabrics varied from light colored pinks and yellows, to dark midnight blues and metal blacks. A few mannequins were scattered here and there, a few pins protruding from their torsos. The small room seemed cozy and welcoming with all the stuff taking over and from somewhere in the back, soft music was reaching your ears.  
  
‘Make yourself at home darling; we will be here for quite a while.’ Ania smiled to you, passing by you and reaching her work desk, started looking for something furiously.  
  
‘I have all the time in the world.’ You comment, but your attention is distracted by what appeared to be a miracle  
.  
On your right, there was a small window, offering its light to the small room along with breaths of fresh air, since its windows were opened widely, allowing the cold air of March to course through the room. The rain had stopped as it appeared and the soft steps of any passing pedestrians reached your ears in heavenly music as it appeared. Trying not to attract any unwanted attention from the girl, you take a few calculated steps towards it, managing to see that it overlooked to the soaked streets. You had to avert your gaze and keep your cool in order not to betray yourself; keeping your heartbeat at check was of outmost importance right now. This could be the rarest opportunity you had since you came inside the castle; this could be your way to salvation. If only you were able to reach it without the vampires or the girl noticing.  
  
‘So, what is your favorite color? I thought it would be best to make a costume out of it.’ Ania spoke up, making you nail your eyes carefully on her figure, with your fist clenching in two balls to keep your heartbeat at bay; you were still wearing Demetri’s coat, something that would seal you from the cold outside.  
  
‘It’s (f/c).’ you offer a small smile.  
  
‘Oh! I have some right here! We should get down to work then!’ the bubbly woman exclaims.  
  
‘Actually, do you have some silver lace? I think it would look amazing if we combined the two.’ If you actually had seen yourself uttering these lame excuses from another point of view, you would most probably face-palm to tomorrow, but right now, all you did was smile as you swift your weight from one leg to another, trying to play it cool.  
  
Ania seemed to ponder over it for a bit, before her pretty face lights up ‘I think I may have some in the back. Can you take a seat and wait for me to return?’ she offers kindly, pointing at the cozy armchair right behind you.  
  
‘Of course! Go ahead!’ you smile and wave her off, watching her closely as she turned gracefully on her heel and disappeared behind a small door in the back.  
  
This was your chance.  
  
Without spending a single second of hesitation, you push Demetri’s coat from your shoulders in order to make your movements easier and rush to the window, grabbing the windowsill with your hands and look outside. Indeed, you were on the ground floor, right beside the very same door from which you entered the cursed castle; the streets outside had only a few people walking, but from somewhere in the distance you could clearly hear chatting and happy voices, enjoying the temporary end of the rain. From where you were standing, you could clearly see that the main door was safely shut and not likely to open anytime soon, while the distance from the ground was around three meters. If you were careful enough, you would land on your feet and won’t alert the guards looming outside the very same door. As the realization of what you were about to do dawned to you, you had to inhale a deep breath as you stepped on the windowsill and looked around feverishly for any prying eyes. Swallowing hard, you exhale.  
  
And then you jump.  
  
Air courses all around harshly and the ground is adamant as it welcomes you, making your knees bend and you kneel on the cold, wet ground, knocking the air out of your lungs. It all seemed so unreal, that for a few split seconds you sincerely believed you were just dreaming, waiting for Demetri to come and wake you up anytime soon. Still, the steady beat of your heart against your chest and the complete numbness spreading through your mind –which only happened in cases of extreme emergency- trigger all alerts of survival inside your head, turning the switches on and throwing you off the edge. You needed to survive. And you needed to do it now.  
  
As if you watched yourself through a big cinema screen, you feel your head turn to gaze all around you in order to locate if anyone had spotted you and when it proves that the coast is clear, your legs take complete control. One step, two steps, keep your cool, do not run just yet because you will alert all vampires in close proximity. Breathlessly, you feel your weak legs come in contact with the hard ground, navigating you towards a small alley on the left side of the Volturi Castle, as all of your senses are pushed to the very edge and your survival mode is skyrocketing. You couldn’t believe you were outside; the feeling was surreal and the cold air brushing on your cheeks and face seemed only a lie. A lie that was far too real.  
  
The moment you reach the alleyway and are far enough from the Entrance Door of the castle, you don’t even stop to spare your next actions a single second.  
  
You run.  
  
All you do, is run as far away and as quickly as you could.  
  
It did not matter that your body was weak, malnourished from all the days you spend without food or even water. It did not matter that your heartbeat had turned into one continuous hum and your heart pressed against your ribs, ready to break them and escape from your chest at any given second. It did not matter if the vampires had finally realized you were no longer inside the castle. All that mattered was right now. Right now, that you ran through the graphically beautiful streets, desperately trying to distance yourself as much as you could from the hellish castle only serving as your prison for the past two months. Your feet pound against the concrete pavement and your lungs burn you from the inside for a moment of rest; there was no time for that, no time to stop as you catapulted yourself inside the small crowd of people who chose to venture out despite the piercing cold. From the corner of your eye you could see some of them exclaim words in annoyance or eyeing you suspiciously as your battered self pushed them aside in order to run, your deteriorated state drawing unnecessary attention. Still, all your eyes could do was scanning the place for any pursuing vampires. Meddling with the other humans, getting their scent on you would slow them down considerably, but not for too long.  
  
Making an abrupt turn towards a busy street filled with people that roamed the cafeterias, you throw a quick glance over your shoulder before slowing your pace down into a quick stride and you throw some of your disheveled hair in your face. Walking through the cafeterias, people are chatting merrily among themselves, paying no attention to the pale girl about to pass out at any given moment from the fatigue. As you round a corner and take another turn to create a maze pattern of your course, your heart leaps from your chest as another opportunity presents itself to you: a mother yells at her little child who was playing in a nearby pot of mud and she is quick to raise herself from her chair in order to rush to him, leaving her cell phone completely unprotected.  
  
With a graceful and careful movement, you pocket the device skillfully as you pass by her table, continuing down the road as if nothing was happening.  
  
Your heart was pounding loudly inside your ears, covering all other sounds surrounding you, as you clasp the cell phone tightly against your chest, closing your eyes and letting out a small prayer for the first time in your entire life. If there was a God up there, he was surely helping you out and favoring you to no ends. So please, please, make this work, make this work!  
  
Inside your tight grip, the device goes off signaling an incoming call.  
  
Without a moment’s hesitation, you pick it up.  
  
‘Alice?’ you choke out, hands trembling and eyes filling with tears.  
  
_‘There is not much time to chit-chat, but you are completely insane to run off like that ____!’_ the light voice greets you from the other line, terror lacing every word she uttered.  
  
You almost faint at the sound of the familiar voice ‘It’s so good to hear your voice Alice… I just couldn’t stay…! They killed Gianna!’ you whisper-scream on the phone, choking down violent sobs.  
  
_‘I know.’_ She replies in a grim tone _‘But right now, we have to get you out of there. There is a metallic green door on your left. Enter it and you will find some clothes. Use them to alter your scent; it will slow them down.’_ She instructs.  
  
Nodding as if the elfish girl was able to see you, your eyes dart to the metallic door down along the way and rushing as fast as you could towards it, your fragile grip grabs a hold of the doorknob and you open it, shoving yourself inside the entrance hall of a classic Italian house without anyone noticing. Once inside and away from the danger of being discovered in the streets, the first thing you notice was the wave of warmth enveloping your cold body, making you realize only now that you were shivering harshly and your teeth chattered; the second thing that catches your attention, is a small clothes dryer resting lazily across from you, filled with dry clothes. Covering the distance that separated you, you rest your phone on your shoulder and start rummaging through the clothes.  
  
‘You can’t even imagine how happy I am to hear your voice Alice.’ You mumble, grabbing a shirt and resting it on the side for future use.  
  
_‘I can understand ______. I have been paying close attention to whatever was happening to you and I can only say that you surely tested the Volturi limits. If we are careful enough, we can get you to a safe place not even Demetri will be able to track. It was a clever thought to call me.’ _Alice said as you grabbed a few more clothes.  
  
‘What are the chances of getting out of here alive?’ you ask, stripping down from your clothes.  
  
_‘Extremely few, but there is a way. They still don’t know you are gone, yet they know something is amiss since Demetri is only hearing one heart. It won’t take them long.’_  
  
‘Perfect.’ You say, passing the new blouse over your head ‘I thought that if Demetri can follow a person’s mind, then if another person makes the decisions for them it will be easy to trick him.’  
  
_‘That was really clever! Well done _____! Carlyle is booking you airplane tickets as we speak, but you will not travel straight here; they will be expecting this. Edward is trying his best to supply you with enough money for a place to stay as well.’_  
  
‘Thank them both for me please.’ You breathe out wearing the pair of jeans you had found ‘How are my father and Embry? Are they okay? And Bells? I hope she doesn’t beat herself up too much.’  
  
_‘They are all fine, you don’t have to worry. I give frequent reports to your father about your current state and I also told them about the letters. If we get you out of there, I will make sure for you to see the-‘ _there was a small pause, followed by what you thought it was Alice gasping in surprise. She was having a vision and you waited patiently until her voice sounded again.  
  
Once it does though, your blood runs cold.  
  
_‘THEY KNOW! _______ they realized you escaped! Ania is dead! You must move NOW!’_  
  
You didn’t need another second to think things through. Making sure the clothes were perfect and pulling the hood of your shirt up, covering your hair, you grab a hold of the door and pass on the small road behind it, your eyes scanning the place for any charging vampires. If they knew you were gone, you approximately had very few seconds to act before they located you and dragged you back at the castle by your hair. Or even worse… Still, your heart pained you for Ania’s death, knowing it was entirely your fault. A stinging pain shots through you and tears are brought into your eyes, which you wipe away furiously. You couldn’t afford being sentimental right now and you would sure as hell mourn for Ania’s and Gianna’s death when you would be safe. But right now, as you practically moved as fast as you could without running, you had to focus.  
  
_‘Turn left and then right.’_  
  
_ ‘Now straight ahead.’_  
  
_ ‘Be careful while passing the square, there is a vampire guard in the distance, so no running.’_  
  
Alice guided you so skillfully through Voltera as if she was standing right beside you. With her guidance and alert you managed to walk towards the town’s gates without being detected by anyone. Wild shivers were running down your spine and your heart pounded loudly inside your chest; they could find you at any time. They can track you down like a true prey and feed off your blood for daring to disobey them. If you were caught, it would mean certain and merciless death in the hands of Aro or even Caius; you could not afford that. There was no going back to the castle if you wanted to live, there was only walking forward from now on and praying to whatever Creature resides the Heavens you would not be discovered. But even if you did, you knew what you would do. The only solution there was for you was to throw yourself off the Voltera walls; in the street you were walking, you were right beside them, so it would be no problem for you to jump off if discovered. But, you were going to hold on to your faith in Alice; the girl could work miracles and as the town’s gates came into view, a light of hope reached your long ago frozen heart.  
  
_‘Can you see the two men arguing?’ _your eyes darted to two middle aged men who fought furiously right beside a small motorbike right next to the gate.  
  
_ ‘Yes.’ _You whisper.  
  
_‘One of them is going to walk away and the other one is going to follow him, only for them to start punching each other in no time.’ _Alice said.  
  
As if on cue with the girl’s words, the scene unfolded right in front of your curious eyes in all of its glory, with the second man throwing a punch against the first one from behind as you approached them. Before anyone really had the chance to intervene, they were both of the ground battling each other, with a few people running towards them to break them apart.  
  
‘Alright, they are fighting. What do I do?’ you ask, looking around to spot any vampires.  
  
_ ‘They have left the keys on the bike. You will steal it and head to the right once you are outside to get to Rome. I will be watching you to let you know if the future changes, but you will need both hands for now. Good luck ____._’  
  
And with that, she hangs up. Swallowing hard, you shove the phone in your pocket as you walk over to the motorbike, seeing that the keys were indeed in the ignition. Guiltily, your head perks up towards the now large crowd and the fighting men to see if anyone had noticed you. Luckily, they were too occupied to notice anything and taking the chance presented, you hop on the bike and turn the engine on. With a small roar, the engine comes to life as you press the accelerator and immediately catapult yourself into the road, passing the gates and venturing towards the countryside.  
  
As the distance between you and the town magnifies, you can only think of one single thing:  
  
Freedom.


	21. Chapter 18.5 Embry #2

**_“For weeks he thought he was going to die any minute, and there were also times when he was afraid he wasn’t going to die.” _  
_― Hubert Selby Jr., Requiem for a Dream_  
  
  
  
_“__I wish that you were here or that I were there, or that we were together anywhere!__” _  
_― __Dada Boat ~ Long Distance Love_  
  
  
  
_“Having something and losing it, it's so much crueler than never having had it.” _  
_― Victoria Schwab_**  
  
  


  
  
  
  
  
The grey days in La Push Washington never seemed to change.  
  
Heavy silver clouds kept coming and covering the all-too-forgotten blue sky with their threatening presence, releasing the torrential rain with no mercy for the people residing under them. These people, who longed for days where the rich golden rays of light would filter through the green canopy of trees and illuminate the dense forest with such a clear light, it would make it appear as if it had came out of a dream. But of course, the vast skies kept raining stoically, as if the whole of Nature had gone in deep mourning. Cold crept into the skin of humans and into their hearts as well, with them noticing something was amiss, even with their clouded and shredded senses. No one could remember when the forest was welcoming and endearing; now, it was cold and ruthless, definitely not a place to wander off by accident.  
  
Everything appeared as if they had lost their light.  
  
At least for Embry, they had.  
  
Now that you weren’t here, now that almost two months had passed, everything had utterly lost their significance, drowning into a sea of unimportance. It was as if the whole world turned its volume off and everything had become grey when they used to be bursting alive with color. Embry had surely heard things like that happened to people who had lost someone dear to them, but he never had guessed this was actually true. But it was. Everything felt as if it had turned utterly grey, losing all the vividness and becoming something dull; activities he used to like in the past were nothing more but pestering actions needing of riddance and he would gladly give them up to stay right were he was. He was surely wishing to turn into stone right where he was standing; then maybe it wouldn’t hurt as much to breathe… or to live. Maybe he could just reach the end and pass to the Other Side. Then your loss would not hurt that much.  
  
If you were dead, it would have been better in a way; at least he would know that you were with the angels, right where you belonged, safe and sound and waiting for him. But you weren’t. You were very much alive and in desperate need of help he was unable to give you. Among the devils you soared now. Away from safety, away from him. And it was tearing him to pieces to know that.  
  
Sam and Jacob kept telling him it would get better in time; the Alpha and Beta of the pack always threw him an apologetic stare and he could feel their sorrow and pity even in their human forms. They kept trying to drill into Embry’s mind that it would get better; and somewhere deep inside of him, he sincerely hoped so.  
  
But it hadn’t.  
  
The first few days which followed Carlyle’s revelation that ______, sweet, poor yet so daring ____, had been captured by the Volturi went by in a complete haze of pain and sheer anger. Embry had jumped out of a cliff with sole intention of dying upon contact with the cold water, alas his werewolf nature did him no such favor. The others jumped behind him and pulled him out in the shore and the moment he was on solid ground, Embry transformed and ran away. He ran and ran and ran and did not stop until he actually passed out from exhaustion; his desperation had driven him to reach Alaska in a matter of few days but the teenager welcomed the piercing cold and the numbness his wolf instincts provided him with. He hunted around for a little bit, completely surrendering his consciousness to the wolf, but had not realized his pack was out there to retrieve him. It took a solid command from Sam, the Alpha Voice, to actually make him come back without a fight to the death. Sam hated to do this, Embry knew, but still could not help himself hate the man for failing to understand.  
  
When they drove him back by force, it was the thing that made Embry snap; he did not belong among them anymore, they were not his pack, they needed to leave him the f*ck alone. They can go die for all he cared. They were not his family anymore. No one was his family other than his mother and ______. And now _____ was gone by their mistake and you were not coming back.  
  
Embry grew to utterly hate the wolves.  
  
So he gave up on his werewolf form. From the moment he came back, he hadn’t fazed since. That way, he knew death would come to take him sooner or later and he would keep his thoughts of murdering everyone inside his own head.  
  
It was the first time he was so angry, so bitter. It was the first time he truly and utterly hated someone and no matter how much this side of him frightened him, he welcomed it gratefully with open arms. Whatever it took to take the pain away.  
  
Alas, he was not the same man anymore.  
  
His mother had noticed the moment he stepped out of the rich forest foliage, coming back from his escape in Alaska. The obviously worried sick woman was waiting for him in the threshold of their home, never failing to notice the other wolves escorting her son, but it was the lifeless, grim expression on Embry’s face that made her mouth half open in silent horror.  
  
She composed herself rather quickly in order to scold him for being away for two whole weeks without a single heads up so that she wouldn’t worry, taking the same expression that terrified Embry as a kid, but this time, her son was not the same.  
  
‘_____ is gone.’  
  
Laconicall as the sentence was, it horrified her to the bottom of her bones. She wanted to ask more, she wanted to ask what happened to the sweet girl who she loved as her own daughter but Embry passed by her quickly, locking himself in his room and the only thing the other wolves had to share was pitiful and shameful expressions as they bowed their heads in defeat and disappeared once again. Embry was not the same; he barely ate, barely slept and barely talked to anyone other than _____’s father, who passed by every now and then to see how the boy was doing. He appeared to be more confident that _____ would come back; alas Embry did not share the same feelings. Especially when they hadn’t heard from you since. The little elfish vampire Alice called him every now and then to reassure him that ____ was alive and kicking, but despite the fact Embry longed for those phone calls, he did not utter a single word leaving the vampire to simply talk to her own self. Thankfully, Alice was not stupid enough to drive by and smart enough to explain every little thing about ____’s condition, something which brought both relief and pain to Embry. None of the rest Cullens dared to even speak to him and Bella was anywhere to be found luckily for her. It appeared Edward and Jacob had taken the warning seriously; good. Because he would kill her.  
  
So today, had dawned as another endless and pointless day.  
  
For a strange reason, it was a bit warmer than usual; just two degrees of what they were used to, so Embry had decided to work himself out by cutting wood for the fireplace tonight. The axe was steadily rising in the air only to slash it sharply, splitting the wood in half. It was a strenuous job, but it helped him pass out cold in the night, with no dreams of a screaming ______ there to keep him awake and crying. The unusual warmth combined with his own body heat made his muscular body bathe in sweat, which he downright ignored, completely focused on the matters at hand. Still, he knew very well that his mother’s eyes were nailed on him through the window walls of the house, watching him closely in order to observe any attempts to run away. Not that he would. There was no strength left inside Embry whatsoever.  
  
Out of nowhere, his phone started buzzing in his back pocket and the sound of a familiar song reached his ears, stopping him in mid-action. Sighing deeply, he nailed the axe on the long and strengthened his position, reaching for the device and bringing it on his ear without a single word. There was only one person to call him and that particular one needed not to hear his voice to speak.  
  
‘Embry.’ The small vampire’s voice reached him through the other line and Embry immediately registered she was obviously worried. Not that he cared.  
  
He did not give her a dignified response. Alice did not falter even a bit.  
  
‘It’s ______. She needs to speak to you now. Come over as fast as you can.’  
  
Even if the elfish vampire had just informed him that aliens were invading earth and killing everyone on their path, Embry would not be as surprised or terrified as he was when he heard her speak those words. As soon as his brain decided to decode the words spoken as if they were some unbreakable chain of an ancient, forgotten language, he was shaken to the ground. Immediately, his luxurious brown eyes open wide with surprise and his mouth half opens, inhaling a sharp and desperate breath as if he has been drowning and he had just managed to take a full breath. It shook him to the ground and reached deep down into his very soul; his numb heart exploded inside his chest and became one continuous hum, while his hands and legs trembled violently, barely enabling him to continue standing straight up. His eyes burnt him –as far as that went he knew the feeling- blooming with tears on their edges, which the wolf tried to drown down.  
  
‘……W…Where is she?....’ he uttered, for the first time since forever, his voice coarse and strained; utterly pained.  
Alice’s voice seemed to lighten up ‘Come over and I will explain everything.’  
  
In the rarest of cases where his brain would have decided not to give up on his sheer hatred for the Cullens, the wolves and everyone who dared leading _____ to her slavery, his body would fail to comply to the desperate orders and would have done exactly what he did. Embry dropped his phone. Embry turned on his heel towards the direction he knew the Cullen’s house was. Embry payed no mind to anyone or anything as he started running. Embry placed one foot in front of the other, pressing them hard against the ground and racing towards the rich forest. Embry felt the exploding fire of his wild shiver cut through his body like a hot iron. Embry screamed and jumped. And he phased in mid-air.  
  
The enormous grey wolf let out a piercing cry of utter desperation and pain as he raced through the flora surrounding everything he could lay his eyes on, screaming and pushing himself to run as fast as it was ever possible. Distractions like his former –and now hatred- teammates tried flooding his brain with their own thoughts, sensing the other wolf’s presence after a long time and trying to get the info out of his head as to what had happened to cause him to act like that. They didn’t hate him as Embry did. They knew what he was going through along the lines and felt pity for him; it was for that reason why Embry hated them. But no matter how much they tried to dig through his brain, all the wolf could think of was of that (h/c) haired girl with the (e/c) orbs. Smiling, crying, laughing, joking, breathing, existing. It seemed so real, you seemed so alive like you were standing right before the wolf’s very own eyes, with your superior scent which was a mixture of vanilla and peaches, with your beautifully clear skin and your large smile that could light up the world. It was such a vivid image, the wolf believed he could just reach out and grab you tightly in his arms never letting go of you ever again.  
  
As the forest changed around him, as the scent of the wolves was left behind and altered to a chokingly sweet one, Embry knew long before the Cullen residence came into view that he was closing towards the house.  
  
The moment the grand house comes into view, Embry transforms immediately into his human form, without a single moments rest from his constant running. He pushed himself, even if his lungs burnt him now and as his eyes fixated on the small, elfish vampire waiting for him on the threshold of the house, her eyes nailing themselves onto him before a huge smile erupted through her delicate features.  
  
‘You’re here!’ her girlish voice exclaimed and she jumped up and down a bit as Embry walked up to her with no words whatsoever ‘I knew you would be here, even if I couldn’t see you.’  
  
The man knew that the vampire had the rare gift of seeing into the future with extreme accuracy, but he was well aware she couldn’t see the werewolves for a strange reason. Still, he had no time for a polite chit-chat.  
  
‘Where is ____?’ he said laconically, allowing his eyes to wander far beyond the girl and into the house as if he would be able to get a glimpse of his loved one.  
  
‘Well, I will explain everything, just come inside.’ She said, taking a turn on her heels and walking back inside, with Embry following hot on her tracks.  
  
He had never come inside the Cullens house, since it was a forbidden territory, but he had to admit they had a style for everything. From the vast spaces and the decorations that occupied them, he could clearly see they had a soft spot for expensive stuff and well as for works of art. Everything was as if it came out of an expensive magazine and reeked of the same sweet fragrance that made his stomach burn and turn. Even if it appeared to be empty, he could feel the presences of the vampires, some of them were talking on the floor above them and others paying close attention to the wolf that invaded their space, without being seen. He didn’t care; they could all attack him for all he cared, he was going to take down a few of them before dying though. But there would be no need for any bloodshed today.  
  
Alice walked up a set of stairs and immediately turned on her right, walking inside a small living room, were Edward, Carlyle and the vampire mother going by the name of Esme were there. Edward was talking fast on the phone right across the room and Carlyle was on his computer, accompanied by Esme, while another phone was resting on the glass coffee table. All of them looked up and nodded to the approaching wolf, which Carlyle and Esme offering him sweet smiles.  
  
‘Glad you could make it here Embry.’ The vampire doctor welcomed him ‘It’s nice to see you are doing alright.’  
‘_____ is doing fine for now, you can relax now.’ Esme smiled, but Embry dignified none with a response, instead turning to glare at Alice.  
  
‘What is going on here?’ he demanded to know, clenching his fists into two balls.  
  
The petite vampire sighed and her mate appeared on the other side of the room, watching closely.  
  
‘Well, the all-too-reckless _____ did the unthinkable and escaped from the Volturi in what I believe was the rarest opportunities to ever grace any living being. She managed to run out of the city and travel to Greece where they can’t find her for now. She is traveling to Thessaloniki as we speak to catch another plane that will bring her to a safe place we have prepared. In one of my visions, I saw her asking me to bring you here so you could talk, so I acted fast to surprise her.’  
  
Embry was prepared to hear anything, but not that. Suddenly, an urge to hug the sh!t out of the small vampire washed over him. Someone chuckled from behind them and turning, he saw Alice’s mate looking at him quite amused.  
  
He ignored him though ‘She is already away from them?’  
  
Alice nodded ‘Yes, but they are hot on her tracks. Demetri is determined to find her no matter what happens. The masters aren’t happy.’  
  
‘Will they? Catch her I mean.’ By now, he was hanging desperately from her lips, the pain and desperation rising inside his chest like a tidal wave.  
  
‘For now, no they won’t. I am checking on her future every minute to make sure of that.’ Alice reassured him.  
  
‘We are doing everything we can to bring her back safely Embry.’ Carlyle chose that moment to speak up and smile at the werewolf ‘She already has tickets and money more than enough to bring her to safety, but we can’t bring her here at all; they will be expecting her. So we chose to hide her to some friends of mine in Beijing; they will take good care of her.’  
  
The moment the blond man finishes his sentence, the phone resting on the table goes off. Everyone inside the room turns to gaze at the silent Embry, who can do nothing but stare at it blankly at first; his hands were trembling, his mind was blank yet he wanted so much to pick up that phone. Inhaling a sharp breath, he feels a strange wave of calmness and reassurance wash over him, which urges him to pick that phone up. He didn’t need to look up to Alice’s mate to know it was his doing. He accepts it nonetheless thought. As if watching himself through the murky waters of a lake, he walks up to the phone and spreading his hands towards it, he takes it softly in his hand, pressing the button and bringing it to his ear.  
  
_ ‘Alice I am almost in Thessaloniki._’ An all-too-familiar voice speaks up from the other side of the line, sounding like pure music for the werewolf’s ears as he chokes down a sob.  
  
‘______.’ He manages to say.  
  
Silence greets his words, more deafening like no other sound upon planet earth. The girl on the other line grows completely silent and Embry can already see her beautiful (e/c) orbs growing wide with surprise and even begin to water with the tears you would never let fall. He could practically see the girl’s every little reaction and it brought a smile upon his face as he heard you ask:  
  
_ ‘E-Embry? Is that you?’_  
  
‘Of course it’s me baby-doll. Missed me?’ he joked; mentally, he kicked himself for doing that, but if he didn’t, he would burst out crying right then and there. It was so good to hear your voice once again, he could barely register any other person around him other than you.  
  
A choking sound came from the other side of the line, managing to draw his attention and a muffled sob reached his ears, breaking his heart into millions of pieces.  
  
_ ‘Oh Embry, I missed you so much~!_’ the girl managed sloppily to choke out.  
  
You were crying. ______ was literally crying on the other side of the line, far too many miles away for him to reach out for you and hug you with all the strength his supernatural body could provide him with. Only in the rarest of occasions _____ cried; Embry could remember only two of them where the girl was only sever and nine years old. In those times back then, Embry was there to pull you into a tight hug until your sobs settled down and you decided to go back to your upbeat and strong self. Not that he thought of you as weak when you cried. The occasion had such emotions released from within you, that Embry considered them to be true wonders.  
  
The man’s eyes stung and he swallowed hard, trying to keep his own self from cracking now that you needed him the most ‘Don’t you cry baby-doll, I am right here.’ He cooed gently on the phone, only to receive another sob ‘I’m right here and everything is going to be alright, I promise. I hear you have been giving them hell over there.’  
  
To his utter happiness, he heard you chuckle lightly.  
  
_‘I-I suppose you can say that… Oh Embry, I am so, so sorry for breaking my promise to you, I know you are angry with me but I swear I had to protect them. All of them. I am truly regretting breaking my promise to you I-‘_  
  
‘It doesn’t matter anymore ______.’ He calms the girl down, his voice steady and reassuring ‘All that matters is that you are coming back and I promise to protect you from them till my last breath. I won’t let them lay a hand on you, I swear baby-doll.’  
  
_‘I was sending you letters all this time, but they didn’t send them to you. I was writing both to you and my father to let you know that I’m okay._’ you admitted sheepishly.  
  
If there was a time Embry hated those treacherous leeches that snatched ____ away from him, now it was the very peak of his hatred towards them. He would gladly eliminate all of them out of the surface of the earth.  
  
‘Alice told me all about it, you don’t have to worry. Your father is doing great as well, so all you need to focus right now is getting here safely.’ He advised the girl.  
  
There was a small pause ‘_I would like to go out for that movie you know. You’ll be buying me popcorn, I warn you.’_  
  
Embry’s heart skipped a beat at the sound of those words and unwillingly, a bright smile graced his sweet characteristics despite the fact that the girl could not see him ‘Have I ever left you to starve? Of course I’ll be buying you whatever you want.’  
  
_ ‘We’ll go for an action movie.’_  
  
‘Deal.’  
  
_‘And I really want a big teddy bear.’_  
  
‘I’m hearing the funfair is in town.’ He chuckled.  
  
_‘Will we go on the Ferris Wheel?_’ your voice was laced with excitement.  
  
‘I’ll take you to the moon if you come back.’  
  
_‘I am on my way._’ you chuckled ‘_I got to go Embry; we have arrived at the bus station. I will call you all when I am at the airport.’_  
  
‘Alright, we’ll be right here.’ He reassured her.  
  
_ ‘I love you Embry.’_  
  
Out of all the things he had expected you to say, Embry would have never guessed you would actually say that. He had dreamt of this moment; he had dreamt of the day both of you would admit your feelings to one another and it surely wasn’t a day where you ran for your life and where he was afraid for it. Still, he would take it; he would not regret a single moment of this holy day, in which you were coming back to him. And the words flowed from your mouth straight into his aching heart, lifting the pain and filling it with the long-awaited love and hope. It drove away the darkness and enveloped his heart in pure, white light. He closed his eyes, savoring the moment and hoping to hear those words face to face, before smiling happily.  
  
‘I love you too _____.’  
  
And with that, they both hung up.  
  
Thankfully, the vampires were discreet enough to leave him alone as he talked on the phone, deciding it was time to take their actions to prepare for _____’s arrival into the library where Embry found them next. Alice threw him a huge smile that the werewolf returned with pure shyness, his attitude relaxing more towards them, seeing that they had helped _____ tremendously.  
  
‘We’ll bring her to you Embry. There is no need to hold on to old grudges.’ Edward commented out of nowhere, making everyone inside the room look at the both of them.  
  
Embry lifted his chin up a bit ‘I still believe it’s your entire fault Cullen; for a vampire, you surely are blinded by what effects your actions may have. That goes for your little girlfriend as well.’  
  
Edward clenched his jaw firmly as Embry folded his hands over his chest, but Alice decided to jump in to ease the tension a little bit. No one would want a vampire and a werewolf to go on a full-out fight in the library.  
  
‘Being as awesome as I am, I knew just the right gift to give to you Embry!’ she exclaims, winking deviously at him ‘I should inform you, that after _____ lands in Beijing airport, her future is being wiped clean and I cannot see her.’  
  
A flash of worry passes through Embry’s features ‘What does that mean?’  
  
Alice rolls her eyes ‘You simple minded mutts.’ She laughs, resting her hands on her sides ‘It means you will be meeting her there Embry! Me and Jasper are preparing your papers, since I knew you would like to join her. Everything is almost ready.’  
  
If they were alone, Embry would have surely hugged life out of the elfish vampire.  
  
‘Thank you Alice.’ He said and it was the very first time he was actually thanking the small girl. It was a simple sentence that tried to cover all the help she had been giving him these past two months and in its simplicity, it made the vampire beam with happiness.  
  
‘Anything for my wolfie.’ She laughed and messed his hair in the same way _____ did.  
  
‘_____ is calling.’ Carlyle announced as the phone went off and all of the vampires –excluding Edward who continued talking on the phone lowly- and the wolf sat around it on the comfortable sofas, before Carlyle put the phone on speaker.  
  
_‘Hey vampires and wolfie.’_ The girl chuckled _‘I am at the airport and currently walking towards the gate.’_ She informed them.  
  
‘Is everything alright for now? Have you noticed anything ____?’ Carlyle asked, keeping his calmness on check.  
_‘I haven’t seen any shady sh!t, so yeah, everything is alright. I wore the clothes you send me and the wig, so there is no way for anyone to know it’s me.’_  
  
‘Good. Keep your head down and move towards the gate as fast as you can.’ Embry advised.  
  
_‘It’s alright Embry, they won’t find me her-‘_  
  
Whatever was the rest of the sentence ____ said, Embry never noticed. What drew his attention was not the small phone with the cheerful voice anymore, but the sharp breath drawn by the small, elfish vampire. Alice’s eyes opened wide and she stared out into space with a horrified expression that triggered all alerts inside Embry’s head. She was having a vision; Embry knew, Alice’s mate knew, every single vampire knew. Her mate, Jasper if Embry remembered correctly, immediately threw his hands over the petite girl protectively, speaking softly in her ear, but she was nowhere even near to responding or dropping her horrified expression. Edward growled from across the room.  
  
‘They found her.’  
  
Panic.  
  
All Embry could feel was panic.  
  
‘______ RUN!’ he screamed into the phone, throwing his hands in the front and grabbing it hard, as if this way he could reach out to you ‘RUN _____! YOU HEAR ME? RUN!’  
  
_‘Embry I can’t hear you, can you please say that again?’_  
  
‘THEY FOUND YOU _____ RUN!’ his voice boomed all over the small space.  
  
‘_Ru- what? Can you-‘_  
  
_‘There you are princess.’_  
  
A silvery and full male voice cut the girl’s sentence in half and Embry could literally hear ____ gasp in surprise. Horror. Pure horror trapped him exactly where he was sitting, on the comfortable sofa. He wanted to scream; he wanted to growl; he wanted to shred the vampire daring to touch ____ into shreds. He could practically see the girl’s terrified expression by her stuttering voice right now and this time, his hot tears were fast to cascade his face as he screamed into the phone; it was more like a wolf’s horrifying scream of pure hatred, rather a human’s scream.  
  
‘_______!!!’  
  
_‘My sincere apologies, ____ will not be returning home anytime soon. I found her first; I get to keep her.’_ The silvery voice chuckled; closer than before, since he was obviously holding the phone.  
  
And the line went dead.


	22. Chapter 19 Heart Lying Still

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: possible triggering scene up ahead, you have been warned

Honestly speaking, you never believed you would actually make it out of Voltera, let alone reach Rome.  
  
Always being around vampires made you realize it was utterly impossible to escape them in any way, but here you were, playing against the odds once again as if they were your own playthings. You had jumped out of a window, ran through the town, stole clothes and a motorbike and you managed to escape. Freedom was literally grasping you into its liberating embrace and it was the most intoxicating of things.  
  
Alice had stayed true to her promise and the moment you arrived at Rome’s airport, two escorts were already waiting for you, one with your papers and one with a whole new pair of clothes as well as a blonde/black wig. The small vampire had carefully instructed you to change your appearance and your clothes frequently, since it was the only way to stall them from picking up your scent from miles away. It wouldn’t last for long, but you could surely buy some time like that. You quickly got dressed and boarded the plane, finding your seat in First Class, away from any preying eyes. It was the first time you would be traveling completely on your own and if you considered the fact you were being hunted down, no one would really blame you for always looking over your shoulder and out the window. It earned you a lot of questioning gazes from the other passengers, but truthfully, they weren’t the ones being hunted by the best tracker to ever walk planet earth.  
  
Among the huge crowds surrounding the airport, you were sure that you were about to see a familiar pair or purple eyes –red eyes covered by blue lenses- at any given time, but by the time the sun went down and the plane decided to take off, there was not a single indication of a pursuing Volturi. Only when the airplane wheels abandoned the steady ground underneath them did you really feel you were safe for the time being; if there was one thing vampires couldn’t do, was fly in the air completely on their own. So, you allowed your heart to relax even for the very few hours of the flight. The kind flight attendants offered you a full meal and a really nice piece of cake, which you gobbled down like a true wolf; it was the first time in probably a week that you managed to keep the food down inside your stomach without Gianna’s dying face popping up to reverse the procedure and you were literally famished. Plus, you needed the strength if you wanted to keep on going.  
  
This night, there were no nightmares to plague your dreams. Only calm images of a smiling Embry waiting for you back at home. It was relaxing, calming and utterly filling you with hope; if only you could make it back, then everything would be alright once again.  
  
Once the plane landed in Athens, one of the first things you noticed was how crowded the whole place was. People were going up and down non-stop in a sea of different faces, some happy and others serious, as they prepared to travel towards their destinations or meet with their families. Calling Alice to make sure which steps you should take next, you followed her advice and boarded a bus that went straight to Thessaloniki, where you would board another plane that would take you to Beijing. It saddened you a little bit when Alice told you the Volturi would be expecting you to come back to Forks, so they had made arrangements for you to hide in friggin China. Inside the large sea of million people, not even Demetri would discover you. Yes, it was the logical thing to do. Yes, you needed to think about the fact of placing everyone in danger if you returned. But no, it didn’t pain you less. You longed to see your father, you longed to see Embry. To hug the two men. To be around them once again. But the logical and calm side of your brain already knew this was not going to happen.  
  
The trip was as calm as it should be. The bus was relatively empty and you had the chance to look out of the window to the mesmerizing Greek countryside, which looked so alive in the first days of spring. Flowers were blooming even on the side of the road, farmers were already working on their fields and the vivid colors filling your vision were something more than simply calming. Unexpectedly, you realized you liked observing the silver olive trees which covered everything around you, since the ancient trees had a certain aura of Life and Immortality. Some of them must be quite old and have seen the world change in more ways than one, yet here they were, ready to speak of their adventures to anyone who was there to hear them. If you were able to feel the wind coursing around you, maybe you would be able to catch up a few of their stories, even with that damned restrainer around your neck –you had tried to take it off, alas nothing worked once again-. But no matter how calm the scenery made you, even that wasn’t enough to chase away the pain.  
  
No one was really able to understand just how much you missed your home. How much you missed the silvery, rainy mornings filled with humidity in La Push or the scent of freshly cooked breakfast with your father calling you to wake up. No one knew, because no one was in your shoes. It was shredding your heart into millions of pieces not being able to laugh and mess around with Embry in your living room or racing each other in surfing on the beach. You missed the simple things in life more than anything. All those things you took for granted and failed to realize that it was them that placed color in your life, which made it burst alive with life. With the purest kind of life. It is only among our loved ones that one can feel at ease and at home, free to do as he pleases in order to soar the skies higher and higher. And now that you were away from them, you felt the pain as a gaping hole in your chest.  
  
If you wanted to be truthful though, the one you missed the most was Embry.  
  
It was as if all the warmth had disappeared from your life. Anytime the werewolf was close to you, you felt yourself relax and be at ease, drawn in by the warmth his smile and body radiated. It was soothing in the constant coldness and once you were away from him you could feel the loss to your very bone. And you regretted; you regretted failing to keep your promise to him, failing to come back and keep his fragile feelings leveled, chasing away the pain that must now have taken over his heart. Out of all people, you hated causing pain to Embry among all others. Because you loved him. You loved that simple-minded, naïve but oh so sweet werewolf to the bottom of your heart and yes, you really wanted to go out with him. Even do more than that. It was for that sole reason that your heart was aching you non-stop. If only you could redo everything, you would have never boarded that car, you would have never left him behind. You loved him and you left him out of complete idiocy.  
  
And now, you would never see him again.  
  
Fleetingly, your eyes caught a glimpse of a few signs indicating you were finally reaching Thessaloniki. Speaking to the driver he indeed said you were, so you thought that now was as good of a time as ever to call Alice and let her know you arrived safely and learn if they were any changes to your future. Hopefully, there would be no disturbances and you would be allowed to board the plane peacefully, leaving behind the nightmarish life you led up until now. Searching through your pockets, you fish out your phone and dialing the number you bring it to your ear.  
  
She replied after the second beep.  
  
‘Alice I am almost in Thessaloniki.’ You say the moment you hear the phone pick up, waiting not for your best friend to greet you with her cheerful voice. For now, you didn’t want to know that everything would go alright. You wanted to drown into the sorrow.  
  
_ ‘______.’_  
  
Your body freezes to the core. It couldn’t be. No, it surely wasn’t. You were finally driven mad by the pain and you had started hearing things. Because for a split second there, your brain and soul actually thought that you recognized the male voice that answered the phone. Your mouth opened and then closed, opened and closed again as your lungs denied your vocal cords the necessary air to form coherent words. Tears bloomed on the very edges of your eyes, staining your vision and making you inhale a sharp, inaudible breath of utter desperation, but you refused to allow yourself to cry. All you wanted to do, was reach out through the phone and hug the man standing on the other line with everything you had.  
  
‘E-Embry? Is that you?’ you choke, voice stuttering like a little child.  
  
_ ‘Of course it’s me baby-doll. Missed me?’_ Embry joked; his voice was soothing, warm and filled with excitement which was almost tangible. It sends a shiver down your spine.  
  
And it was right then and there, that all hell breaks loose.  
  
No longer being able to hold back your tears, not able to hold back the pain and suffering and desperation and fear that had made their way into your heart all those months in which you had been staying with the Volturi, living in constant fear for your very own life and pain for the loss of your loved ones, you finally begin to cry. Warm tears are fast to cascade your cheeks and a violent sob erupts from your chest, making you desperately try to breathe in. Everything you had been bottling up all this time, every little emotion rises like a tidal wave that emanates against you only to break all of your defenses and leave you a sobbing mess. You choked and sobbed and cried silently in your seat. You couldn’t take it anymore; you couldn’t take being held captive by the Volturi and you couldn’t go back now that you had taken your final step. It was either freedom or death and if you couldn’t have what you wanted, then there was no need to keep on going. All you needed was to be back inside Embry’s protective and welcoming hands once again.  
  
Inside the hands of the man who silently heard you cry and whose heart was breaking into millions of pieces and you knew it.  
  
_ ‘_Oh Embry, I missed you so much~!’ you managed sloppily to choke out.  
  
_ ‘Don’t you cry baby-doll, I am right here.’_ He cooed gently but hoarsely on the phone, only to receive another sob from you when you realized he was on the brick of tears as well _‘I’m right here and everything is going to be alright, I promise. I hear you have been giving them hell over there.’_  
  
He tried to change the subject, to lighten the mood a little bit and you knew it. Of course he knew you were giving the Volturi trouble, it was what you specialized in.  
  
You chuckled _‘_I-I suppose you can say that… Oh Embry, I am so, so sorry for breaking my promise to you, I know you are angry with me but I swear I had to protect them. All of them. I am truly regretting breaking my promise to you I-‘  
  
_ ‘It doesn’t matter anymore ______.’_ He interrupts your mumbling, trying to calm you down, his voice steady and reassuring ‘_All that matters is that you are coming back and I promise to protect you from them till my last breath. I won’t let them lay a hand on you, I swear baby-doll.’_  
  
‘I was sending you letters all this time, but they didn’t send them to you. I was writing both to you and my father to let you know that I’m okay.’ you admitted sheepishly.  
  
There was a prolonged sigh from the other side of the line, which allowed you to know the man was doing his best to keep his calm _‘Alice told me all about it, you don’t have to worry. Your father is doing great as well, so all you need to focus right now is getting here safely.’_  
  
You paused a little bit, thinking that it was about time to speak your true mind to him and stop evading your feelings towards him. Silently, you prayed not to mess it up as you spoke ‘I would like to go out for that movie you know. You’ll be buying me popcorn, I warn you.’  
  
Silence greeted your words and you mentally wished you hadn’t screwed everything up with him by doing that. By confessing you wanted to go out on a date with him. Seconds seemed like eons but once he spoke again, you could hear the smile painting his voice _‘Have I ever left you to starve? Of course I’ll be buying you whatever you want.’_  
  
_ ‘_We’ll go for an action movie.’ You demanded.  
  
_ ‘Deal.’_  
  
_‘_And I really want a big teddy bear.’  
  
_‘I’m hearing the funfair is in town.’_ He chuckled.  
  
‘Will we go on the Ferris Wheel?’ you happily suggested.  
  
_‘I’ll take you to the moon if you come back.’_  
  
‘I am on my way.’ You chuckled, truly happy for the first time in a really long while ‘I got to go Embry; we have arrived at the bus station. I will call you all when I am at the airport.’  
  
_ ‘Alright, we’ll be right here.’_ He reassured you.  
  
‘I love you Embry.’  
  
There it finally was. The words you wanted to speak to him for so long, so many days back before this entire nightmare started. It was the simplest words you had ever uttered, yet held into the greatest of meanings existing in Life. These were the words that could break down whole fortresses and bring people to their knees only when they were spoken truthfully. But speaking them now, even over the phone, seemed like the perfect opportunity for you, since you knew very well you were not going to see Embry ever again. Maybe you could ask Alice to bring him to you, but the Cullens had already done so much for you, it would be inappropriate to ask for more. So you said those words to your best friend, meaning them to the deepest sides of your soul, knowing that maybe it was the first and last time you uttered them to him. But you wanted him to know. You wanted him to know you loved him, even if he didn’t feel the same.  
  
_ ‘I love you too _____.’_  
  
And with the very same words, Embry returned the love you gave him.  
  
And it was enough for now; enough for the both of you.  
  
You smiled.  
  
And with that, both of you hung up.  
  
Walking through the bus station, you rush to make sure to get the correct bus to the airport right on time. Another package from Alice awaited you the moment you stepped a foot in the airport, with a kind flight attendant offering you the small bag with the supplies; from her golden colored eyes you immediately knew what she was so you didn’t need her ‘Good Luck’ wish to know that she was aware of who you were and what you were doing there. Smiling kindly to the beautiful vampire, you grab the bag and rush to the bathrooms to change.  
  
Once inside, you lock the door and begin to strip from your clothes, tossing your blonde/black wig in the trash bin. This time, Alice had chosen a dark, charcoal grey skirt suit with matching ash grey low heels that gave you a whole aura of authority and professionalism, just as if you were some high-classed business woman. The whole outfit came together with a coal black wig which reached a bit over your chin and a pair of designer sun-glasses which were a bit too big for you. When you finished getting dressed up and you looked yourself in the mirror, you barely even recognized yourself; let’s just hope this trick will work for the vampires as well. You had come too far to give up now.  
  
Coming out of the bathroom, dragging your small suitcase behind you, your eyes scan the crowd of people constantly as you grab your phone and dial the all too familiar number, listening to the loudspeakers who announced that boarding the plane to Beijing had just started. Thankfully, no vampire was in sight and you smiled when the other side of the line picked up.  
  
‘Hey vampires and wolfie.’ You chuckled lightly ‘I am at the airport and currently walking towards the gate.’ You informed them, passing by some tourists.  
  
_ ‘Is everything alright for now? Have you noticed anything ____?’_ a voice asked and you registered it to belong to none other than Carlyle, since his characteristic calmness was distinct.  
  
‘I haven’t seen any shady sh!t, so yeah, everything is alright. I wore the clothes you send me and the wig, so there is no way for anyone to know it’s me.’ You mentally saw Alice’s huge smile spreading over her face.  
  
_ ‘Good. Keep your head down and move towards the gate as fast as you can.’_ Embry advised.  
  
‘It’s alright Embry, they won’t find me here no matter how much they try.‘  
  
You saw a man dressed in black stand by the window while holding his luggage on one hand, admiring the bright sunny day outside and you mentally smiled that some people seemed to like the sun as much as you did, no matter the strange feeling you got once passing by him. The crowd surrounding you was vivid and filled with life and a huge wave of happiness washed over you as you walked hastily among them, feeling part of the humans once again. You noticed the man following behind you right after another announcement was made and you asked yourself where he might be going.  
  
At that point, something incoherent came from the phone. Embry talked, or rather screamed, but the line was a bit bad and you didn’t quite catch what he was saying.  
  
_‘_Embry I can’t hear you, can you please say that again?’  
  
_‘THEY’_ static almost deafened you _‘-YOU’ _more static _‘RU~!’ _his voice boomed, making you move the phone away from your ear.  
  
‘Ru- what? Can you-‘  
  
‘There you are princess.’ A sly voice spoke up victoriously.  
  
Soft, careful and nimble hands came in careful contact with your waist the very same moment your face buried itself inside a heavy, black coat as someone embraced you with seemingly the greatest love and longing there was; you didn’t know who it was and for a split second your mind was taken so aback, you remained there completely frozen like a statue, allowing the unfamiliar man hug you tenderly. But it was not the kind of hug you would want someone to give you. Because as the hands wrapped around your petite figure, as the man pulled you against his sturdy chest, his limbs felt more like iron vises ready to shred you in half in the middle of the crowded airport rather than a lover’s tender hands. He was cold, as if his skin wasn’t radiating even the slightest of warmth, leaving his clothes frozen while his whole posture was so unyielding like the blade of a sword. Instinctively, the empty valleys of your mind commanded you to inhale in preparation for a bone-chilling scream, but as your nose obeyed, the rich aroma of citronella, lilac and summer rain blinded your senses and you failed to comprehend the desperate need for air.  
  
Because the endless and insatiable flames of panic mixed with pure horror penetrated your heart, making it drop to your stomach the very same moment you felt your soul ready to leap from your body and leave you an empty shell. Horror and panic radiated in a split second from your body in a huge heat wave which was immediately picked up by the man, who only now did you recognize. Demetri leaned down gracefully, his hand reaching and pulling your wig off softly, as his nose buried itself inside your freed (h/c) locks, inhaling the sweet fragrance like an addict having his dose on heroine. He sighed contently, his breath tangling inside your hair. Your brain barely even registered Embry’s voice calling you from the other side of the phone, but as Demetri’s cold fingers wrapped around yours, taking the phone from your hand, the contact send a wild shiver down your spine and into your stomach.  
  
‘My sincere apologies, ____ will not be returning home anytime soon. I found her first; I get to keep her.’ he chuckled deviously and dangerously.  
  
You heard him hung up. A piercing crushing sound reached your ears and the remains of your shattered phone fell on the floor.  
  
‘I have to give it to you; you have more fire and brains within than what I thought. To escape and use the abilities of the little Cullen to run was really clever. Too bad I can still track you no matter where you go.’ Demetri purred to the frozen you.  
  
If anyone was watching you right now, it would look like two lovers reuniting after a really long time. Even when Demetri let go of you and grabbing your hand in his iron own, literally dragged you towards the exit, with you fumbling on your own feet to prevent falling down and follow him –since there was no other thing to do-, the movements seemed so graceful and unbiased, that no one would ever suspect a thing. Especially since you offered no reaction against the man whatsoever.  
  
What were you supposed to do? All you did was watch through your own eyes like a visitor inside your own body as Demetri kept his grip around your fragile hand and led you towards the exit. You could do nothing to oppose him for the simple reason that you couldn’t. everything inside your mind had grown completely cold, with the mental frost falling over the valleys of your brain like a heavy mist, clouding your thoughts and drowning away the sound of the survival alarms which struggled to bring you back to alert. Everything was futile. Everything was lost. As realization dawned to you, you realized that no matter how far you run, how much distance you put between you and the Volturi, it will never be enough to escape them; you will always end up here, in some random place with one of them gently leading you back to your prison. There was no escaping them. Still, there would be no reason for you to worry about the future anymore. Because the moment you would be alone with Demetri, he would kill you. Obeying the Volturi laws which you broke, he was going to snap your neck like a little twig and leave you to rot on some random alley where no one would ever find you. You were already a walking dead-man and there was nothing you could do. Even if your brain commanded you to run, scream, place attention on yourself, you were so terrified, you could not even breathe in properly.  
  
And Demetri knew you couldn’t do a single thing as he dragged you out of the airport and where his Ferrari patiently waited for him. He opened the door for you and helped you inside, before walking all the way to the other side and plopping himself on the driver’s seat.  
  
Once the door closed behind him, he rested his hands on the stirring wheel and remained silent; neither of you said a single word, with him glaring outside the window shill with an unfathomable expression and you feeling the horror accumulate inside your stomach in a wave of tears mixed with sobs you struggled to drown down. He must have noticed your distressed state, since you felt his careful glare eye you from the corner of your eye, before the man sighed heavily and turned the engine on, throwing the car inside the traffic of the busy city. You could still see him throwing glances towards you every now and then, but having other urgent things to attend to, you tired your best to come up with what your next moves should be. Well, you were already a walking dead woman, so it was only natural for him to kill you the moment you are alone; hmmm, that seemed to be too far-fetched, since knowing Aro, he would probably like to kill you himself for your disobedience. How many Volturi laws had you broken? Most of them? Yep, you are going to die in a dark cell.  
  
And of course, those thoughts did nothing to calm you weary heart down.  
  
Demetri picked up the horror radiating off your skin immediately.  
  
His jaw tightened along with his hold on the steering wheel ‘You don’t have to worry ____.’ He pronounced your name in the same way that send shivers down your spine; lowly, calmly, deeply ‘I am not going to hurt you. Not now, not ever.’  
  
You swallowed hard ‘You have other orders to obey right?’ you finally whisper, your voice steadier than expected.  
  
‘Even if they told me to do so, I wouldn’t. I only have to take you back.’ He admitted, now looking fully at you, studying you with his deep red eyes.  
  
‘Just like you did with Gianna?’ there it was! Now, you could literally feel his gaze burning your head off, so deciding to look out the window, you deny him the opportunity to read your expression. Because if he did, the hurt and pain you felt would not be caged inside your mind anymore; he would know everything.  
  
‘Gianna’ Demetri said cautiously ‘She wasn’t needed by the Volturi anymore. Aro ordered us specifically to get….rid… of her. I tried offering the solution of keeping her for your sake, but Master had already made his decision. I am sorry.’  
  
And he truly was; there was not a single spec of untruthfulness inside his voice but what can you do about it now that your best friend is long dead? None of you could do anything for her and you couldn’t help but feel you were going to meet the very same ending the moment you would step inside the castle. Death was standing above your head with his dark scythe, waiting for the right moment to strike. What was there left to lose?  
  
‘Why not kill me now and be over with it though Demetri? Why drag me back?’ you turn to look at him, and to your utter shock, you see pure anger flash over his majestic characteristics.  
  
‘You do not get it, do you?’ he laughed humorlessly ‘You are not going to die _____. You are far too valuable. No, Master Caius is waiting for you. MASTER CAIUS! DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU HAVE DONE?!’  
  
It was surely a low, double strike in your gut. To begin with, you had only heard rumors and short stories from Gianna for the animalistic hatred and vengefulness the Third of the Volturi held, along with his sadistic and ruthless nature. Stories that made you chill to the bone and make sure not to cross his path inside the vast castle at all. He was Jane’s favorite Master and only by this mere fact, it was enough to drain all remaining color from your face. The second strike was actually, a_ctually, _witnessing Demetri’s outburst. In the past, you had taunted, cursed and tempted the man in order to piss him off but seeing now his reaction, made you jump on your seat and shrink in it. It was a weird mixture of horror and anger all merged in one; his red eyes immediately went pitch black and the veins in his neck popped out while you wondered how the steering wheel did not budge as he pounded his fist angrily on it. It terrified you; it made all alerts inside your head go off and you quickly averted your gaze elsewhere. But he was not going to lash out on you.  
  
As fast as the outburst came, he quickly recomposed himself and remained silent, offering you neither consolation nor an apology as he passed his hand through his sand-brown locks. It was desperation eating him alive from the inside and you didn’t know why.  
  
Silence fell among you and you refused to break it, instead focusing on the vast building you were approaching.  
  
From the looks of it, it must surely take up the space of a huge city block, consisting of eight to nine stories high, with grand windows decorating each floor towering well above your heads. In the colors of pure white and light beige, it gives off an aura of prestige and class as the replicas of ancient Greek statues decorated each and every one of the many balconies, never throwing the clean decoration off balance. Grand window walls existed on the ground floors and a huge fountain took up the space in the very middle of the gardens and the drive-through, with the clear water making the whole place come together. Looking over at the main entrance, you read [Grand Hotel Palace](https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/09/c3/fc/b1/grand-hotel-palace.jpg) written in golden letters, just as Demetri pulls the car to a stop right in front of it.  
  
  
Two bellboys rush to help you, with your own opening the door for you and offering his hand with a bright smile to help you outside. You take it gladly with a small ‘thanks’ and wait by the car until Demetri walks up to you and offers you his elbow, without uttering a single word as he escorts you inside the building.  
  
  
Once inside, your eyes grow as big as two dinner plates in front of the luxury you are faced with. It wasn’t just as luxurious as the Volturi castle, but it was equally breathtaking in its own way. The rustic decorations consisted of dark wooden furniture on both sides, with the fireplaces being lit with huge fires, their flames dancing gracefully on the glass decorations that surrounded them. Now that the sun outside had slowly begun to fall over on the horizon, the eerie mid-light of the flames along with the crystal chandeliers hanging by the arcs on the ceiling made the place look stunningly magical. Over the[ reception](http://grandhotelpalace.gr/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/grand-hotel-thessaloniki15.jpg) desk, where a kind woman and a man sat, was a huge oil painting of some traditional dressed men, dancing around a fire. Everything had a faint aroma of jasmine, while gold, white and wooden colors prevailed everywhere and as Demetri led you steadily towards the elevator, you didn’t fail to catch quite a few people staring at the both of you approvingly.  
  
  
Surely, it was quite rare for such a handsome man as Demetri to walk around alone, but from the few smiles you yourself gained, you barely believed that you suited to be by his side. Then again, maybe Alice’s clothes made more tricks than what you could imagine.  
  
When you reached Demetri’s [room](https://exp.cdn-hotels.com/hotels/2000000/1110000/1102000/1101942/1101942_58_z.jpg) in one of the top floors, following a silent elevator ride, you sincerely let out a relieved sigh. You would once again be away from any preying eyes. Not that this was a good thing altogether. The man let go of your hand the moment you were standing in front of the door and opening it wordlessly, he beckoned you to walk in first. Your heart tightened inside your chest for the strangest of reasons, but once the door closed behind you, your heart eventually sank deeply.   
  
  
‘I believe you might be hungry, so I took the liberty of ordering something.’ Demetri spoke and the sound of something shuffling reached your ears, as you eyed the mouthwatering foods laid on the dining table.  
  
‘I’m not hungry.’ You murmured lowly, yet you knew he could hear you loud and clear. Instead of touching the food, your hand grabs the frizzy drink and throwing your head back, you down it whole in one go. The alcohol burns the back of your neck, a burning so welcome now that you felt colder than ever. All the spaces surrounding you resembled more of a small apartment than a hotel room, with the living room and dining room being in the same rustic decoration as the entrance hall. Beige and white colors prevailed everywhere, while a luxurious dark blue carpet covered each inch of the floor. A double door leads to the bedroom right next to you.  
  
You could feel Demetri’s disapproving stare nailed on your petite form as you downed the second drink before throwing a hand over your lips, trying desperately to fight back the tears which blocked your vision and neck.  
  
‘Are you alright?’ he asked his voice low and filled with so much concern, it was almost tangible.  
  
It made you hate him though. Right there, right now, you felt so much hatred for the vampire across from you that if it was possible, you would have just jumped on him and shredded him in half with your bare hands. You hated him, you hated his clan, you hated all for what he was standing for. And it was such a strong hatred, it felt like hot, melted iron running through your veins and melting away your internal organs, leaving you an empty human. They had succeeded; they had finally managed to break you to the core and turn you into a shadow of yourself. Congratulations; you were no longer who you were and there was no way to return to your previous life and loved ones because of them. Right now, as Demetri took a calm, calculated step towards you, sensing the alteration of your emotions as if you were emitting them like a wave, you instinctively took a step away from him.  
  
‘Don’t come close to me. Don’t you f*cking dare even look at me. I hate you and everything that has to do with you.’  
  
‘______’ Demetri managed to say, but it was the last drop you needed.  
  
‘I SAID SHUT THE FUCK UP YOU BLOODY F*CKING LEECH!’ your voice roars around the silent room, reverberating off the walls and every single surface and taking Demetri by surprise ‘DON’T YOU DARE COME NEAR ME!’  
  
Leaving the surprised man to look at you with sincere surprise, you turn on your heel and exit the room, walking swiftly into the bathroom and closing the door loudly behind you. Your heart was pounding loudly inside your chest and the adrenaline made your ears ring loudly. If you hadn’t walked out of the room, not even the restrainer would have stopped you from killing Demetri or at least die trying. Still, in one rare moment of clarity, your brain had decided to take things logically and save you the extra attention. Because it had come up with a plan; a plan not even Demetri would be able to stop. Because you were not going back to the castle, no matter if God or Satan himself wanted to drag you back. No, the Dark One was waiting for you back within the castle walls, preparing to put you into the most torturous things he could muster. But you were not going to give him the pleasure of surrendering without a fight.  
  
It was right now that realization was dawning to you, right now, inside the bathroom, which was as luxurious and spacious as the one back at Voltera. Life had played a really violent game against you and no matter how much you tried, the tables were not going to turn to your advantage; no, instead, they had turned completely against you and you were now waiting to be dragged back, right into the lethal dungeons were Caius was waiting for you. Right at that moment, a familiar face flashed right before your eyes. Alastair. The vampire who was punished for love. And now, they believed they would catch you and torture you in a same way. Oh no. You were not going to bow down to anyone.  
  
Before you had the chance of realizing it though, you were already hyperventilating.  
  
Tears cascaded your eyes and violent sobs made your body shake uncontrollably, the pain and sorrow you experienced all this time finally coming out. Resting your hands on the marble washbasin, you raise your (e/c) orbs to gaze at your reflection. The girl that looked steadily back at you, once used to be really pretty and healthy. Right now, the black circles betraying her lack of sleep were permanent under her once vivid eyes while she had lost considerable weight in a matter of a few weeks, making her pale and thin like a ghost. Still, the fire was not absent from her eyes; on the contrary, it burned brighter and darker than before, now that she knew what she had to do.  
  
The huge mirror covering the wall right in front of you over the faucet was adorned with carved butterflies on the edges of its surface, majestic carvings that were breathtaking.  
  
You don’t spare a single thought; you only takeoff your jacket, exposing your bare hands before you raise one of them. Your fist lands on the fragile surface, the moment your jaw clenches tightly, determination poisoning you to the core. And everything happens in a split second.  
  
Glass shatters into millions of pieces under your fist, their sharp edges wounding your (s/c) skin deeply and allowing the deep red liquid drip down on the sink in majestic ruby patterns, adorning the rest of the broken glass which had fallen from the ruined mirror. Smiling widely in triumph, your good hand grabs the largest piece it can find tightly in its hold; your delicate fingers wrap decisively around it with power right before you raise it over your head and into the air, flip your left hand to expose the tender flesh and with a sharp, ruthless move you stab yourself with all the power you had.  
  
Deep, luxuriously red blood immediately stains your perfect skin, dripping down on the floor, but you can barely feel the pain as you cut through your arm horizontally as much as you can. Your knees shudder and eventually give out from under you and despite the hot tears and ringing in your ears, you can feel yourself smiling triumphantly as a victorious scream bursts through your lungs and echoes through the room. You were finally free! You were going to escape all the pain and torture and humiliation and all the loneliness. Since it was impossible for you to go back home, you were not going back to Voltera as well; you were choosing the third option which was more permanent than both of them: Death. The complete seizing of existence, the cold embrace from which no one could run from eternally. Death is the only god who comes when you call him and yours was the loudest scream anyone could produce.  
  
In an excited haze of pure bliss, you see the door of the bathroom fly to the other side, completely torn off its hinges before the breathtaking figure of Demetri steps into the room in high alert for any possible enemies attacking you. It only takes him a single second to locate you on the floor, smiling sheepishly with your veins wide open and producing large quantities of blood before his face drops into a mask of homicidal anger.  
  
‘WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!’ he roars, his voice sounding like the roar of a lion.  
  
‘I took matters on my own hands!’ you smile, but the world spins around you the moment you feel someone grabbing you in an iron grip by the shoulders.  
  
The ground is lost under your feet and your back connects violently with the wall behind you. The impact of the collision causes your head to hit against the wall with power, producing a bone-chilling ‘crack’ and the grip around the broken glass loosens, allowing it to fall to the ground as Demetri pins you against the cold wall and his cold, sturdy body. His red eyes are like two hellish firestorms the moment he gazes upon your dazed own and a low growl can easily be heard coming from the back of his neck.  
  
‘I. AM. NOT. GOING. TO. LET. YOU. DIE. LIKE. THAT! LIKE A COWARD!’ he spits on your face, his voice acquiring a demonic hue that made your conscience drift and pull you back into alertness.  
  
‘NO! DON’T YOU DARE!’ you scream.  
  
But he completely ignores you, as his right hand lets go of you, only to grab your injured hand and pin it right beside your head on the wall, on the very same height as his lips. The open wound bleeds profusely and Demetri’s lips tighten as hunger paints his bloodshot eyes, but he never loses it the way the Cullens or James and Victoria did. Instead, once his lips come in soft contact with your wound, you feel his tongue brush against the open wound, followed by a stinging pain that makes you let out a piercing scream. You fight against his tight grasp in order to free yourself, but his hand doesn’t even budge. When he retreats his head, tongue licking the blood off his lips provocatively, there is nothing behind to prove you had just tried to hurt yourself. Demetri had just healed you, using his own venom. And it pissed you off more than anything.  
  
Letting out a piercing scream of pure anger, you allow a rich variety of swears to grace the man as you struggle to free yourself from his grasp, as a futile task as chasing a rainbow would have been.  
  
‘WHY DID YOU DO THAT YOU F*CKING LEECH?!’  
  
‘YOU CAN SWEAR ALL YOU WANT, HATE ME, CALL ME NAMES, BUT I. AM. NOT. GOING TO LET YOU DIE. YOU ACCUSE ME OF BEING A COWARD, WHEN YOU CHOOSE THE EASY WAY OUT YOURSELF!’ now, there was nothing of his calm composure resting inside his blazing angry eyes anymore as the vampire stared back at you completely consumed with anger, raising his tone to match your own for the very first time. It surely was one of the first times you see him like that and it was obvious by the lethal danger painted on his face that no one lived to tell the tale when that happened.  
  
‘WHAT WOULD YOU DO IN MY PLACE? HUH? WAIT FOR CAIUS TO DO THE JOB FOR YOU?’ you spat back, voice dripping with venom from each word.  
  
‘CAIUS IS NOT GOING TO KILL YOU ______! DON’T BE NAÏVE, YOU ARE FAR TOO VALUABLE. BUT IF I WERE YOU, I WOULD ENDURE IT! I WOULD ENDURE IT IF THAT MEANT GETTING THE CHANCE TO LIVE!’  
  
‘BUT I CAN’T LIVE! I CAN’T LIVE WITH ALL OF YOU LEECHES SURROUNDING ME, TOYING ME, ABUSING ME, KILLING THE PEOPLE I CARE ABOUT, HUMILIATING ME AND TURNING ME INTO A KILLER! I AM NOT A KILLER! I AM NOT A MONSTER LIKE YOU ARE!’ you exclaim.  
  
A dark shadow passed through Demetri’s eyes and he leans back a little bit ‘LIFE IS TOO PRECIOUS TO ABANDON LIKE THAT _____! OUT OF ALL PEOPLE, YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT! AND DO YOU TRULLY BELIEVE I WAS GOING TO LET ANYONE HURT YOU TOO MUCH?’  
  
‘OF COURSE I DO! YOU DON’T CARE ABOUT ME DEMETRI! I AM A HUMAN AND YOU ARE A VAMPIRE, END OF THE STORY!’ you accuse him ‘NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU TRY TO CLOUD MY JUDGEMENT, NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU TRY TO MAKE ME THINK YOU ARE LESS OF A CASANOVA TRYING TO PLAY WITH MY FEELINGS AND GET IN MY PANTIES, YOU DON’T FOOL ME!’  
  
Anger flashes through his eyes once again and he presses you even harder against the wall ‘I DO F*CKING CARE ABOUT YOU!’  
  
No matter how much of surprised you were that you had finally heard him curse, you can’t help but scoff mockingly on his face. When you open your mouth to speak once again, all the feelings of hurt and despair you felt all this time come rushing to the surface like a tidal wave, drowning your mind and breaking your heart. You were going to regret those words in the morning, but right now, you could no longer keep the inside.  
  
‘OF COURSE YOU DO! LIKE THE TIME I CAUGHT YOU READY TO BANG HER, LIKE ALL THE TIMES I HAVE TO SEE YOU AND HER PLAYING THE HAPPY COUPLE AND PRETEND I DON’T CARE. THAT IT DOESN’T HURT ME. AND I ASK YOU, IF YOU ARE WITH HER, WHY ARE YOU PLAYING WITH MY HEART? WHY DO YOU TELL ME YOU CA-‘  
  
Your sentence is briefly cut as his cold lips crush against your own.  
  
Out of all the things you expected him to do to you, from killing to abusing, kissing you was absolutely out of the question. Still, the gorgeous man takes you by surprise once again, crushing his lips hard and urgently against your own.  
  
At first, it was just that: urgent; he kissed you out of nowhere, enduring your wild protests as you tried to push him back with everything you had, but the man remained as unmoving as a statue, with your brain flashing and having the mere chance of re-evaluating the situation currently happening.  
  
And it simply went off.  
  
All of your resistances break and you feel your eyes close into the welcoming darkness as your senses overwhelm and eventually drown you. His lips were soft, careful but irritatingly steady as they seal over yours and as you finally melt into the kiss, his exquisite, vivid lilac aroma drowns you and makes you shiver to the core. Instinctively, your hands throw themselves behind his neck and the man tangles his nimble hands behind your waist, as he sharply bites your lower lip, making you gasp and allowing him an opening to slip his tongue into your mouth roughly. It was in that single moment he drops all pretences and defenses. His tongue explores every little crevice of your mouth, hungrily turning the kiss into a deeper one; his divine taste blinds you completely and you let out a shaky moan, making him growl in satisfaction. His body pushes you against the wall, cupping you perfectly on him as if you belonged there and your hands travel to tangle themselves into his luxurious sand-blond locks which were as soft under your fingers as they were when you imagined them.  
  
This was one of the kisses you see in great movies: hunger, passion, desperation and lust all contorted in a dangerous mix that made earth get lost under your feet and your mind to go completely empty, leaving you wide open to him like an open book; it revealed you to him and he was more than eager to explore everything. It was as if every inch of you was electrified under his mere touch and craving for the cold touch of the oh-too-tempting man, making your body unwillingly turn its heat up, coming in complete contrast with his cold own. Every single touch, every little twirl of his tongue and every little moan of satisfaction you let out only drown you more, bringing your brain at the end of sanity and finally pushing you over the edge.  
  
You were completely consumed by him.  
  
You were entranced and you craved even more, like an addict, wanting the lethal embrace that would eventually kill you.  
  
But you wanted him and you wanted him now.  
  
Alas, the logical part of your brain finally takes over and you realize exactly what you were doing.  
  
With your eyes flashing open, you take the man by surprise and push him away, with Demetri taking a few surprised steps back, looking at you as if you had just slapped him across the face; still, from your side, a luxurious red prevailed over your face, so bright it would match the color of your blood.  
  
‘T-this is wrong!’ you desperately breathe out, trying to catch your shaky breath ‘Aro will know about this Demetri! He-he……No!’ you shake your head and picking up the courage that remained inside of you, you walk past him and out of the bathroom, sparing no glare behind you.  
  
Hanging your head low, you make your way straight towards the bed, plopping yourself down and lying against the soft pillow, trying desperately to gather your scattered thoughts and calm your weary heart down. Part of you hated you for leaving him like that and urged you to go right back there and make up to him, but part of you knew that this would be a great excuse for Aro to bound you to the Volturi even more, one way or another. Demetri had to understand right? He should understand! Still, even when you felt his gaze falling on your turned back, you only closed your eyes and tried desperately not to cry.  
  
It was only when you felt the mattress bend and someone lying right beside you that you felt your heart stop inside your chest.  
  
Demetri snakes his hands around your waist delicately, pulling you against his own body and kissing your hair tenderly.  
  
‘I will not let anything happen to you _____. Stay with me and I will offer you the world.’


	23. Chapter 20 Close Your Eyes

_ …Demetri snakes his hands around your waist delicately, pulling you against his own body and kissing your hair tenderly._  
  
_ ‘I will not let anything happen to you _____. Stay with me and I will offer you the world.’_  
  
  
_Drip…..drip……drop…_  
  
Water…from somewhere you couldn’t see, you could hear water dripping down….  
  
Oh…. How much you longed for some water…  
  
…Demetri’s words were echoing inside the empty spaces of your mind, reverberating like gunshots inside the complete silence of your conscience… They were positively deafening and unbearable to hear, much less when you tried to bring the certain memory back in front of your very own, tired eyes… The seriousness and determination with which he uttered those words filled your heart with pain and desperation, yet you couldn’t find yourself able to hate the man because of the sincerity with which he uttered them. Uneasily, you try to swift, only for a piercing pain to shoot through your arms and legs…  
  
The pain was immense and it had a chain reaction with your brain, which popped your eyes open and made your lips half-open into a silent scream of utter terror… Your vision was severely clouded, making you unable to make out where you were and what was hurting you. Chains rattled somewhere close to you, their metallic sound bringing back memories you would rather forget for the rest of your life.  
  
…  
  
……  
  
………  
  
…It had been quite a while since you and Demetri came back to Voltera; actually, you had completely lost all sense of time since you were brought down into the dark dungeons, since there was not a single window to make out if it was day or night. Everything was cold around you, with the air reeking of mould, blood and rotting flesh; at first the stench made your stomach turn and you even vomited a few times, but right now you could barely remember how fresh air smelled like. The rest of the prisoners around here remained silent for the most part, with only one of them in a cell quite away from yours, screaming every now and then in his sleep; when he did that, the metallic aroma of blood soon reached your nose along with biting sounds, as the man bite down into his own flesh. It unnerved you at first, but now it didn’t……  
  
Right now, your hands were suspended one on your left side and one of the right; too high for you to be able and step on the cold floor with nothing but your toes. You had remained in the same position for what appeared to be days; at first your shoulders hurt you like hell and with even the slightest of moves soaring pain would blind you and make you scream, trying your best to relieve the pain from your shoulders by standing more straight up on your toes but it was when sleep sneaked close you were unbearably tormented. Now, you could no longer feel anything from your shoulders up and from the strange position of your torso, you would say that your bones were dislocated… It didn’t matter; at least it didn’t hurt as much… Purple and blue bruises were adorning your once perfect skin, while dried up blood had stained your face, in the places where it cascaded a millennia of years before. And don’t forget that your left leg was severely broken, the white bone protruding through the flesh in various places, but you couldn’t do anything; you couldn’t feel anything.  
  
You were left there, without help, without food or water, allowed to finally die in peace.  
  


_ **~ ~ * ~ ~** _

  
  
_‘______! Be careful where you are going!’ the obviously worried voice of your father yelled from behind you as your small figure giggled childishly and you continued pedaling on the bike._  
  
_ The forest was so green all around you, with the rich bright sun filtering through the leaves and the trees, reaching down to the beautiful flowers adorning the small path you were pedaling on among. Your father had decided it was a good idea for the both of you to go for a picnic after your very first day at school, as well as actually try to teach you how to ride a bike, so here you were now, reaching a faraway meadow the both of you went to in order to relax and have some fun._  
  
_ Seeing your father falling back and failing to follow you, you press on the breaks and stop, turning your head to offer him a big smile. He was already panting a little bit as he reached you, raising his hands to mess your hair tenderly once he was beside you. You beamed up at him with a huge smile, before stepping off the bike and tugging your small hand in his huge own._  
  
_ ‘How was school today darling?’ he asked as he pushed a few branches to the side in order to pass through them._  
  
_ ‘Daddy the kids were mean to me!’ you pout ‘I showed them the little trick I do for you with the pen, but instead of laughing like you, they yelled at me and called miss Patiel!’_  
  
_ ‘I told you not to show that trick to anyone but me _____.’_  
  
_‘But why?!’ you whined loudly as the both of you stepped inside the huge meadow ‘I can make other things fly too! I thought it would make me cool!’_  
  
_ Your father sighed loudly and looked down to the six-year-old big-eyed you with sympathy written all over his face. How could he explain to you just how different you were? How could he explain to you that the world was not a kind place for people as strangely powerful and beautiful like you?_  
  
_ ‘Just keep it a secret honey and when the time comes, you can show your friends all about your powers. You are too precious and important for the whole world to know already.’_  
  


_ **~ ~ * ~ ~** _

  
  
‘Are you, _human, _awake?’  
  
A silvery voice broke through the density of your numbing sleep, reaching down to alert your awareness and pull it back into the surface. With extreme difficulty, you manage to open your bruised eyes, only to locate tall, almost white figure on the threshold of your cell. Blinking away the tears rushing to cover your eyes in order to protect them from the dried up blood, you focus your attention solely on the angelic looking man standing a few meters away from you, with his blond hair cascading his shoulders like a waterfall.  
  
He was so beautiful; there was something inside his beauty that strongly made you believe angels would kill and Fall in order to look as divine and as majestic as the man right in front of you. Skin so white, almost translucent and hair so blond, they looked almost pure white. High and sharp cheekbones and a sharp jaw line highlighted him more. Even his milky red eyes matched perfectly with his breathtaking appearance, even when he was smiling as sardonically as he was right now.  
  
‘I see you are still alive; no wonder Aro has a certain liking to you.’ He commented, almost spitting the words on your face, as if you were just mere dirt on the soles of his shoes.  
  
Chains rattled around you and out of nowhere, you were no longer suspended on the wall, your hands falling limply on your sides. Taken completely aback and with your severely deteriorated state, you fail to maintain your balance; your good leg can’t support you and your limp hands cannot do the slightest of movements to protect you as you fall face-first into the muddied floor, like a sack of potatoes. From the fall, new bruises and cuts appear all over your body and your jaw connects roughly with the stone pavement, making a bone-chilling ‘crack’ as blood rushes inside your mouth. Your broken leg gets smashed roughly as well, but no matter how much you wanted to scream, beg and shred your vocal cords out from the pain, you could no longer find them to do so. You were left there, unable to move or speak, just an empty bag of bones with just a speck of life remaining inside.  
  
And the white-haired angel smiled evilly, enjoying every single second of your torture.  
  
How can angels pain us so much?  
  


** _~ ~ * ~ ~_ **

  
  
  
_It was finally snowing._  
  
_ You were standing right outside the garden entrance of your home, eyes averted to the perfectly white sky from which cascaded millions of majestic snowflakes, signaling the ending of school for a few weeks and the coming of endless playing days with your father. Everything around you was covered with the beautifully white sheet and your small hands were happily raised in the air in order to catch the snowflakes, while a huge grin was plastered on your adorable face. You couldn’t wait to spend some time with your father, especially since you utterly hated school, since all the glares and bullying you got from the other kids was getting to you. Not that you would give them the satisfaction of seeing you cry. No. No one would know about a thing._  
  
_ Giggling happily, you plop yourself down and begin to built a small snowman. What better gift to greet your father with once he comes out of the house with two cups of hot coco in his hands? You can actually decorate it with your scarf and your gloves! Smiling brightly, you put your everything in making the snowman, looking up towards the house just to make sure your father wouldn’t come out before you were done. As strenuous of a job as it was for the small you, you run up and down the place, gathering the snow and piling it up you form the snow man. You were so engulfed into your task, you barely heard the cheerful voices coming from the road on your left, until one of the said voices yelled louder than the others._  
  
  
_ ‘Look! The weirdo!’ _  
  
_ At the sound of the insult, your head perks up and you immediately spot some of your classmates, walking casually towards you while pointing and laughing among them. Even a few of the girls were with them, all of them wrapped safely into warm clothes and now walking towards you with Bobby leading them, grinning as much as he could. Immediately, your face drops; how much you regretted showing them your tricks last year._  
  
_ ‘What are you doing freak?’ he says again._  
  
_One of the girls –her name must have been Jessica- laughs ‘She is building a snowman!’_  
  
_ ‘By herself!’ another girl laughed._  
  
  
_ ‘Go away!’ you yell at them, noticing that they kept walking threatenly towards you an your little snowman._  
  
_ ‘Hahaha, you think you can tell us what to do?’ Bobby laughs as he towers above your sitting form, a devilish grin on his face ‘Nice snowman. Too bad I’ll kick it.’_  
  
_ Your eyes turn into two dinner plates and anger bubbles inside of you ‘No you won’t!’ you rush to get up in order to defend your snowman._  
  
_ ‘I will. You can’t stop me freak.’ He laughs and shoves you._  
  
_ In the last minute you manage to maintain your balance and not fall back, but you can’t help but notice you couldn’t go up against him; he was taller and stronger than you, so you had no chance. Your snowman was going to get destroyed and there was nothing you could do. Bobby laughed and prepared to kick it but right then, two voices came from behind you._  
  
_ ‘Hey _____.’_  
  
  
_‘_____ is everything alright?’_  
  
_ Turning, you see two boys roughly around your age walking up towards you, one slightly taller than the other. Recognition flashes through your mind as you see Jacob and Embry eyeing the other kids and you carefully. Both of them lived quite near to your place and your father was really good friend with their parents, leading the three of you to spend some summers playing with the sand on the sea and visiting one another to play when your parents wanted to chat with one another for matters of the Tribe. Now, out of pure luck, the two boys were passing by your house and saw you having some troubles; so they decided to make sure you were okay._  
  
_ The moment Bobby saw you had company, he took a step back, eyeing them both suspiciously, especially when Jacob came to stand among you and him and Embry rushed to your side wordlessly, offering you a kind smile as he did so._  
  
_ ‘Beat it before I beat you.’ Jacob snarled threatenly, his aura turning darker something quite unusual for the otherwise bright boy._  
  
_ Bobby turned to gaze at his friends and seeing that he was in a disadvantage, sighed and back away, returning to his friends and shortly leaving._  
  
_ Jacob turned to beam a dazzling smile to you as Embry laughed and messed your hair playfully._  
  
_ ‘We got your back _____.’_  
  
_It was right then and there, you realized you had just made two best friends._  
  


** _~ ~ * ~ ~_ **

  
  
You were sitting on a chair.  
  
Head bend forward, blood dripping down your face and onto your already ruined and shredded clothes, staining them even more. Your hands were tied behind your back and your legs were tied on each chair leg with tight ropes; in the entire situation right now, you found it rather strange they had the need to tie you up when you really couldn’t run. You barely could move your head now that you mentioned it.  
  
All you did though was scream.  
  
There was a man kneeling right in front of you; his bulky body making him look threatening even when his attention was distracted, no matter the fact he was a bit shorter than you. He had extremely short hair, cut in military style and his wide, pale white face was always brooding, as if he was looking at something he could not quite understand. You had seen this man previously around the castle and he gave off an aura of extreme danger –even more than Felix- like a viper ready to strike at any given time. Furrowing your eyebrows in confusion, the memory of Demetri greeting him barely made it out of the depths of your mind. Santiago. Right behind him, Caius lurked at the open cell door, watching with a huge grin in his face as you screamed your heart out, threatening to shred your vocal cords in bits and pieces from the pain.  
  
Because Santiago was holding a small pincers in his hands and was currently reaching out to each of your toe nails, grabbing them hard and with one swift move, pulling them off your skin. Even if you had no fight left in you, your body reacted violently towards the pain, making your limps twitch violently, trying to get as far away from the threatening man as possible and only resulting into hurting you more as the movements further made the bones on your broken leg come out. Flesh was hanging loosely off them and off your skin, while large quantities of blood pooled out. A mere look both on your toes and on your wounds and someone would instantly know they had started to get infected around the edges. But you couldn’t focus on that. Right now, you couldn’t focus on anything really. Because pain was setting your body ablaze, eating away all the sanity you had left inside this cursed dungeon and driving you off the edge. You would have sworn you laughed at some point. When that happened though, Santiago would punch you in the face, applying just the right amount of strength not to kill you instantly but hurt you irreparably.  
  
‘….Plea……se…Plea…se!’ you choked out a mouthful of blood ‘I don’t…know….!’  
  
‘Who were the vampires you were being sent to?’ Caius repeated for the millionth time this night…  
  
…Or was it day…..  
  
…What time was it…….  
  
…What where you doing here…?  
  
……What he was asking you….?  
  
‘I don’t know!’ you repeat, spitting a mouthful of blood on the floor.  
  
The last thing you saw was Santiago’s fist coming your way.  
  


_ **~ ~ * ~ ~** _

  
  
_‘Don’t you peak and ruin the surprise.’ Embry said for the millionth time, leading you by the hand._  
  
_ ‘I heard you the first ten times Embry.’ You laughed and allowed the teenager to lead you to wherever he and Jacob had planned._  
  
_ ‘You are too much trouble if you ask me _____.’ Jacob joked and messed your hair ‘If you don’t like the surprise, I’m gonna kick you.’_  
  
_ ‘I’ll like it, now shut up.’_  
  
_‘Guys wait up!’ Bella called from somewhere behind you._  
  
_ It was your birthday today. Turning thirteen appeared to be a great deal for your friends and your father, who had thrown you a big party no one near your house would ever be able to forget. Everyone was there! Your dad, Embry, Jacob, Embry’s mother and Jacob’s father. Even the sheriff’s daughter Bella had joined you along with her father, being the only girly –even if she was timid- company you had. And it was one hell of a party; your father had put his entire soul in making the best food you had ever tasted along with a homemade cake and you all ran around, playing and joking. Even Bella appeared to be having a great time. When you were all well fed and relaxed, Embry tied a blindfold around your eyes and along with Jacob claimed they would be taking you to their surprise-gift they had prepared. Before you had the chance to react, they had already grabbed each of your hands and led you to only God knows were._  
  
_ Now, after what appeared to be a century of walking through the forest, you had started to doubt their exclamations of how awesome and perfect for you their gift was, along with how much time they spend making it and were practically messing with you. You were one step away from taking the blindfold off, but Bella let out a surprised squeal and the boys laughed right as you were about to give up._  
  
_ ‘Are we there yet?’ you ask eagerly._  
  
_Someone walks close to you and you hear a heart beating loudly against a chest._  
  
_‘We are here. I am taking the blindfold off!’ Embry said from right beside you, offering you a small kiss on the cheek as you felt the blindfold loosen and eventually fall from your eyes._  
  
_ The spectacle with which you were presented with, was the least stunning._  
  
_‘Tadaa~’ Jacob pointed at your gift ‘Happy birthday kiddo.’_  
  
_ ‘Still older than you Jake.’_  
  
_‘_____ this is beautiful.’ Bella squeals from right beside you._  
  
_ ‘Took us a while to make it, but it was worth it.’ Embry exclaimed, resting his hands on his waist while his chest filled with pride for their achievement._  
  
_ Right in front of your very own eyes, in the middle of Embry’s house yard –you had walked that far- was a huge, magnificent butterfly cage. It was made out of wood and metallic net, reaching well above all of your heads, with a single bare tree occupying the space right in the middle of it. But what took your breath away, were the stunning, tiger swallowtail, purely white butterflies. Each of them were in the size of your palm and swarmed the whole cage from one side to the other, flying around and playing with each other in beautiful patterns. There must have been around five hundred butterflies in there, creating a maze of beauty and purity, something you found utterly enchanting. You always were a big fan of butterflies but unfortunately there weren’t many around Fork’s forest. So seeing them all now, simply took your breath away._  
  
_ ‘Like it?’ Jacob gave you a huge grin ‘Took us weeks to gather so many.’_  
  
_‘My mom helped us deliver them here for you. And this is our present: your very own butterfly cage!’ Embry hugged you tenderly, his body radiating the all-too-familiar heat you always loved._  
  
_ ‘Thi-this is awesome!’ you exclaim, hugging him back ‘Thank you so much guys!’_  
  
_‘_____ look!’ Bella interrupts your astonished thoughts ‘There is a single red one in there!’_  
  
_ The girl points towards the end of the cage and right there, all of you can spot a majestic butterfly in a royal red color; she stood out from the rest of the white ones and her red wings with the black spots appeared even more elegant and breathtaking, making your eyes grow as big as two dinner plates._  
  
_ It was the most stunning butterfly you had ever seen._  
  


** _~ ~ * ~ ~_ **

  
  
A piercing, bloodcurdling scream broke the tense silence of the dungeons as your back made a perfect arc, distancing itself from the pavement where you were lying, reacting to the violent fire coursing through your veins out of complete nowhere.  
  
It was a fire both violent and insatiable. It appeared out of the blue and enveloped your fragile and worn out body completely; like melted hot iron, it rushed through your veins, through your skin, through every fiber of your existence, melting you alive from the inside and making you beg for Death to take you on the spot. It was everywhere; your nails, your organs, your brain and there was not a single trace left inside of you that could offer you some kind of salvation; it was only you being burned alive in the dungeons with your bone-chilling screams never even reaching your ears. It was excruciating, numbingly torturous and as your bruised and abused body convulsed from the pain, you sincerely believed it was never going to end. Doesn’t God have even a single speck of mercy to kill you right on the spot and relieve you from the torture? What crimes, what sins had you committed in order to suffer such punishment? If you could turn back time you would have never committed them! Just make this stop! Stop! You can’t take it anymore.  
  
  
Still, there was something quite different with the fire this time. In the past, you were so completely engulfed with pain, you were immediately enveloped by the painful darkness, as if you were hovering inside of it until the pain would seize. This time though, your eyes were stubbornly stuck wide open, seeing everything that was happening around you through teary eyes which were looking for a savior. You could see the two blonde figures standing in the threshold of your cell, one tall and the other femininely thin and beautiful, staring at you with the outline of a faint smile on her lips. The two other people observing you –one insanely tall and the other insanely handsome- were looking at you silently from the sides. It was one of the very few times you had visitors around here, but it was also a time you regretted it; you didn’t want a particular someone see you like this, battered, broken and in complete pain.  
No, you would do anything to avoid that if that meant him not seeing you like this….. He didn’t need to see you like this…. He didn’t need to come down here…..Why was he here…….? Why is he here as you are being tortured….? Why is he so sad……Almost ready to cry…. So broken…….   
Jane seized with her ruthless torture and you felt yourself slump back once again lifelessly, your lungs struggling to inhale the precious air and keep you alive; even if Jane’s powers were strictly mental, their aftermath had deteriorated your already critical state even more. Everything was paining you and you were bleeding out dangerously much right there on the floor, with your eyesight turning blurry around the edges and your shallow breaths pounding hard against your ears. Caius was saying something, but his silver voice was reaching your ears like nothing but a hum, with your tired and slipping slowly into oblivion brain failing to comprehend whatever he was saying.  
Out of the brick of death, the only one you could truly focus upon was the all-too-paler-than-normal Demetri. The divinely handsome man appeared just as pristine and majestic as he always did; his straight posture was unwavering and his perfect face betrayed no emotion whatsoever as he looked upon you wordlessly. For any other one surrounding him –with maybe Felix’s exception-, he looked as serious as he appeared emotionless; like he was presented with such trivial spectacle as watching the grey clouds move across the vast sky. His lips were closed but not pressed, his shoulders were straight, his face unfaltering. For everyone else but you. Because it was you who had lived with him long enough to just _know. Know what was lying underneath._  
  
Because it was your very own (e/c) orbs that could pierce right through his mask and reach deep down into his cold soul, reading it as if you had opened a book in your hands. And Demetri was anything but emotionless and cold.  
  
Deep down, the man was in such pain, it was ready to shred him in half, just as Jane did with you. Watching you convulse on the cold floor, bathed in your very own blood with your wounds hanging open and all at the same time hearing your desperate screams echo inside the room, made him want to rush by your side and take you away from all this. But he couldn’t do anything. He couldn’t do a single thing to protect you and that was shredding him in half. He wasn’t calm and collected; no, his lips were ever-so-faintly trembling since he was waiting for the tears that would never come. How long had it been since he cried? He couldn’t remember. His shoulders were straight, but they were also stiff, as if he was prepared to fight at any second; he surely felt faint shivers that had nothing to do with anything surrounding him go down his spine. His face was unfaltering; it was the only way not to snarl threatenly to Caius and the only way to conceal the fact he was looking both at you and at Jane. He wanted to shred the little cocky child in half and take you out of there. But he couldn’t. You knew every fiber of his existence begged him to do something and save you, since each second pained him more than you could ever imagine.  
  
And it was hurting you as well. Watching the man struggle with what was right and what he was ordered to, shredding his self in half was painful to see; to say the least. His once luxurious red eyes were now an even deeper shade of coal black and as he turned them to look deep inside your (e/c) own, you begged him, begged him mentally to look away. You didn’t want him to see you like this; you didn’t want this image to be imprinted inside his mind forever.  
  
_Just close your eyes Demetri, _you willed him, choking down a sob _Close your eyes._  
  
Failing to keep your eyes open for any longer, a huge wave of numbness overwhelms you and you slip into the darkness.  
  
_Sweetly warm wind was brushing against your exposed skin, making your hair wave faintly and your simple white dress dance along with the passing wind. You were inside a small meadow; as much you could tell, since the clearing among the dark and huge fir trees was covered with grass and in some places, beautiful [edelweiss](http://www.flowermeaning.com/flower-pics/Edelweiss-Meaning.jpg)__ flowers with their small woolen-like petals offering a candy for the eyes. The sky above your head was covered with thick silver colored clouds, racing against one another on the firmament, creating beautiful light patters as they passed above you._  
  
_ Smiling contently to yourself, you allow your gaze to wander all around, sincerely glad you were taken away from that god-forsaken dungeon with the constant stench of blood and mould. Instead, you welcomed the clear aroma of the deep mountains, sparing no thought as to how you got there or where was a way to get out of there. Why would anyone want to get out of there in the first place? If anyone asked you, you would say you were glad to stay there forever; the whole place had a tone of familiarity lying inside of it, something like a long forgotten memory which was welcoming you home after a really long time. You cherished these feelings; they were heart-warming and relaxing after what appeared to be months inside that dark cell._  
  
_ Gently looking up from a small edelweiss on your feet, it takes you a single second to realize you were not alone inside the meadow; no, someone was standing silently just a few meters away from you, staring quietly at you. Your nerves jolted you, but you immediately recognized the intruder. You had seen her in your dreams far too many times, talked about her even more and even looked at her photos your father had kept for what appeared to be hours per time. Still, all those times you had seen her didn’t stop you from being jolted awake by the surprise coursing through your veins; your lips half-opened and your lungs inhaled sharply as you dared to utter…_  
  
_ ‘M…mom?’_  
  
_ The beautiful woman keeps staring at you calmly, never reacting at the sound of your voice. She simply stood right before you, and even in her immobility, she was the most beautiful woman you had ever seen. Her (h/l) (h/c) hair seemed to shine all by themselves under the dull sky, framing her sweet face majestically, pointing out her beautiful (e/c) orbs which came in total contrast with her (s/c), flawless skin. She was wearing a tight white dress as well and simply stood there, observing you carefully. And then, her lips half opened and she offered you a small smile that was so sweet, it melted away all of your defenses, eating away the ice in your heart and bringing it back to life._  
  
_ ‘My lovely _____.’_  
  
_ Her voice was divine. Angelic. You had heard no sound quite matching hers as she spoke to you, making tears bubble at the edges of your eyes. A wild shiver shot own your spine and out of the sudden, your feet felt quite light._  
  
_ ‘My lovely _____.’ She repeated ‘You must run; they are coming for you.’_  
  
_ In a split second, in the mere second it took you to process what she had just said, everything around you changed._  
  
_ Strong wind rushed through the trees, cold and ruthless and chilling you to the very bone the moment he touched your exposed skin mercilessly. The skies above your head produced a bone-chilling, piercing loud thunder, before they turned completely red and they started to rain, with the rain reaching you boiling hot and red; wait a minute! This was not rain.. This was blood! It was raining blood! The forest around you caught fire in the blink of an eye with the tall flames enveloping the rich foliage and turning everything into ash, eating their way towards you as their cracking reached your ears as screams. Chilling you to the bone, making you scream out desperately. You turn to look at your mother, only to scream even more._  
  
_ She was no longer pretty; she was no longer pure and filled with life. Now, her (e/c) eyes stared at you with the shadow of death draining away all of their color; blood stained her lower abdomen and dripped down, staining her legs and her dress, reaching to drip down to the ground. Alas, what made you scream so loud you could feel your neck being shred apart was the single bullet hole appearing in the middle of her forehead as she screamed once again._  
  
_ ‘THEY ARE COMING FOR YOU!’_  
  
_ She screamed, you screamed._  
  
_ With all the alarm switches turning inside your mind, you were pushed into your survival mode. Your head turned to every possible corner, trying to find a way out of the blazing forest from among the trees, but nothing could be seen and no way were the flames retreating enough to allow you passage. The blood cascading the skies had by now stained you completely, along with the white edelweiss, creating a true scene out of the deepest and scariest nightmare. You darted fast to every possible corner of the meadow, your feet dragging you as fast as they could, but there was nowhere to go, nowhere to escape._  
  
_ A loud thunder breaks the skies in half._  
  
  
_ Your head perks up to see what was happening._  
  
  
_ And something pierces through your chest from one side to the other._  
  
_ Blood immediately rushes to fill your mouth and you choke on it violently, trying your best to keep it away enough to be able to breathe in; but you can’t. Your stomach turns as your hands fly to your chest and come in contact with an enormous surface. Carefully, you avert your eyes downwards and your scream gets drowned inside another round of blood. There was a wooden stake protruding from your chest, but not a small one like the ones they have to kill vampires, no. The stake that had pierced your chest was in the size of a log; it had appeared out of nowhere and had impaled you exactly where you were standing, piercing through your internal organs and making you drown in your own blood. There was no way to get it out and there was no way to survive it; your body had already seized all of its movements and you could no longer feel your bottom half._  
  
  
_ You choked up blood once again as your ears rang._  
  
_ Footsteps sounded from somewhere on your left and someone took your left had carefully on their delicate own._  
  
_ Turning weakly, your drown down another bloodied scream, as your mother hovers her cold hand just an inch down from your wrist, her dead eyes appearing to focus deeply and her lips parted._  
  
_ ‘One last gift.’ She uttered, finally touching your skin._  
  
_ Your scream was a deafening one, far surpassing the noise of the storm around you._  
  
Your eyes popped open and you found yourself back at the Volturi dungeon, screaming your vocal cords to shreds and clutching your left hand tightly against your chest. Something like iron was burning your skin, making you shudder in pain.  
  
With tears running down your cheeks, you raise your hand.  
  
Only to see a strange symbol being imprinted on the soft flesh of your skin like someone was burning your skin with a metallic tool.  
  
Engraving a [symbol](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/eb/65/6f/eb656f80ec3883ad1a0e3941dbc343bb.jpg) you had never seen before.


	24. Chapter 21 What’s Left Unsaid

Footsteps.  
  
Someone was walking inside the dark dungeon, making the ground underneath his or her feet shake faintly and their steps echo inside the close spaces, like gunshots reverberating on a clear, quiet day.  
  
As your head was lying against the cold hard ground, you were able to feel the vibrations almost immediately as your brain struggled but eventually realized they were coming your way fast. Honestly, your body was something far beyond simply numb right now, so even if the danger alerts went off inside your mind, screaming at you to wake up and do something to protect yourself, there was no strength left inside your body to do so. You were just so broken and beat up, it made barely breathing extremely painful as it was, let alone protect yourself in case of an emergency. In the worst case scenario, it would be Caius walking up to you to finish you off once and for all. Honestly, you would be glad if that was the case; you were so numb you couldn’t move a single inch; you were so cold you were freezing and your breaths were coming out rugged. So why not just die? Weakly, you half open your weary eyes, desperately trying to see past the blurriness conquering your vision and locate the one coming towards you.  
  
It was extremely hard to do so and you could only see the outline of two feet standing before your cell door, right before the door creaked open and the stranger walked inside, pausing a little bit, in order to inhale a sharp breath. You wanted to react; you wanted to make him understand you were still alive and kicking, but you were currently locked inside your very own body, a silent prisoner destined to remain quiet out of his inability to scream out loud. There was no pain where you were floating inside your brain; there was nothing to feel and nothing to fear and even if you had your eyes opened, this did not mean you looked through them like you were present. There was not much left of yourself inside your body and you doubted there was anything to find anymore. You just waited for the sweet release of death. For the release that was oh so close, yet so far away from your outstretched fingers.  
  
Gentle hands wrapped around your broken, petite figure, and with an abrupt pull you were no longer leaning against the cold floor, but someone was holding you against his chest. Whoever it was, he appeared to realize immediately the limp state of your body since he carefully rested your head against his shoulder and making sure he was not hurting you in any way, you felt the world turn and he started walking again. In your hazy state, all you could feel was the rugged up and down his chest made as he was trying to breathe in calmly, failing to do so considerably. That and the smell of his body. The godly-like aroma of freshly fallen rain which reached your nose and blew your weary mind to pieces; it was so long since you last smelled such divine scent in all the days you had been down here. It was intoxicating and brought you images of a luxurious green forest, the sound of a crackling fire, the waves on the beach and above all…..home.  
  
You were home…  
  
Finally you were back home…  
  
Weakly, your fragile hand reaches out and grabs the man’s shirt in your bruised fingers, holding on to him like he was Life itself.  
  
A small smile made its way on your parched lips ‘E…Em-bry………My…dear…Embry..’  
  
As sweet music envelopes you, your eyelids grow heavy and eventually close…  
  
  


_ **~ ~ * ~ ~** _

  
  
  
…The smell of humidity and rust no longer reached your nose…  
  
Someone was talking, his voice gentle and speaking even gentler words to you, his cold lips resting against your temple as he walked.  
  
All you could feel right now, was the warmth of the sun brushing against your skin every now and then.  
  


_ **~ ~ * ~ ~** _

  
  
…Embry…  
  
Embry was holding you tightly in his arms, walking down vast corridors you barely recognized, but which smelled like medicine and mint.  
  
…You smiled…  
  
…You had managed to return back to Forks…  
  
…You were back home…  
  


_ **~ ~ * ~ ~** _

  
  
Embry rested you against the most comfortable surface you were ever blessed to meet.  
  
By now, the smell of medicine was stronger than ever and the blinding sun was reducing your eyesight even more; yet it wasn’t enough to stop you from flashing the biggest smile you could pull with your scarred lips as you looked at Embry’s blurry figure with pure happiness.  
  
‘I love you Embry.’  
  


_~ ~ * ~ ~_

  
  
  
…Fever was eating away what was left of your resistances…  
  
Everything was burning up inside of you, making your heart pound loudly against your chest and your ears to hum loudly. Your breath was coming out rugged and hellishly hot. You were burning up from the inside out, your body eventually giving up to the severe infections spread throughout your delicate figure and rising your temperature into dangerous levels.  
  
You coughed loudly, trying to inhale as much cold air as you could.  
  
And it was then you realized.  
  
…Soft, cold lips were roaming over your whole body…  
  
..They were kissing your wounds, passing by each and every one of them, kissing them with extreme care, as if you were about to break into a thousand pieces with the faintest of moves. The feel of those lips against your skin was smooth, kind, intoxicating. Even that little contact sends wild shivers down your spine and electrified your heart in a whole different way than your fever did…  
  
…You swallowed hard, barely managing to see your wounds disappear…  
  
  


** _~ ~ * ~ ~_ **

  
  
  
When you realized you were awake once again, the first thing you noticed was the complete lack of the blinding sunlight. Instead, a piercing darkness prevailed all around, lightened up only by the small lights decorating the walls, making shadows dance gracefully across the walls.  
  
You were burning up once again; being shook to your senses by an all-too-frightening nightmare, it was the first clue you needed to know that the fever was back. The very second one was the extreme heat resting on your eyelids, preventing you from opening your eyes fully or even seeing clearly.  
  
What you could clearly feel instead, was the cold surface you were leaning on, hugging onto it like a shipwrecked man holds on to a life-jacket; you had wrapped your hands tightly around it, burying your face into the clothes and inhaling the sweet fragrance which managed to calm you down instantly. The cold, as extreme as it was, was extremely relaxing and relieving and the rhythmical heave the chest underneath the clothes made was lulling you back to sleep by making you focus onto something else. Smiling lightly, you allow your eyes to close once again and be driven back to dreamland were you would find release from the fever.  
  
If you had stayed conscious one more second, you would have felt two sturdy and cold hands carefully wrapped around your petite figure, holding on to you as desperately as you did.  
  
  


** _~ ~ * ~ ~_ **

  
  
  
Warm, bright light was coming through the vast windows, illuminating the medical room you were currently occupying with vivid colors of golden and white, bouncing off any shiny surface and filling the place with mini rainbow-colored beams. As your eyes opened and were greeted by the light, you immediately felt your heart fill with joy; it pounded loudly against your chest, relinquishing the fact that the fever was finally gone and you were able to pull your scattered thoughts together. It was also the first time in quite a while that you were able to see perfectly clear; you expected things to be in a natural silver color, signaling you were back in Forks just like in all the dreams you have been having lately. Still, reality was there and the colors and aromas prevailing all around you landed you harshly back into reality the moment your memories chose to come back as well.  
  
The chase, Demetri, coming back to Voltera, Caius, torturing, Jane; Demetri.  
  
Groaning softly, you throw a hand over your head, trying to ease your sudden headache by applying some pressure there; everything that happened lately were too much to take in in one go, especially when we were talking about your awesome –note the sarcasm- time in the dungeons. You really believed you were going to die; you had reached so close to passing over to the Elysium Fields, you had practically seen the bright light calling you from afar. Alas, Life was obviously not done with you just yet. Someone had pulled you out of there and made absolutely sure you would survive this. Looking back at your murky memories, it is not too hard even for you to realize who it was.  
  
  
As you realized the presence lying right next to you, having wrapped his hands tightly around you.  
  
For a split second, surprise penetrates your worn out features, making your eyes open wide and your lungs inhale a sharp breath; for a mere millimeter, you remove yourself from him, trying to place as much distance as your bruised body could offer. Your heartbeat became one continuous hum, surely pounding loudly enough for the vampire to notice. But then, your brain took another turn; why did you want to distance yourself from him? Why did you want to distance yourself from Demetri? Even if he was a vampire –and especially a vampire in alliance with the Volturi- he had proved to you he was there to stay and protect you as much as he could. And your heated kiss in that hotel bathroom surely made your blood boil and your cheeks acquire a bright red shade. But the logical part of your brain, the one who continued to be rather confused, chose long before you realized what was good for you.  
  
Sighing deeply, you remove yourself from his grasp, with the man jolting upwards right next to you as if he was struck by lightning, something that bothered you a bit; you wouldn’t say it out loud, but by the way he had his sturdy back turned to you, you realized there was no need for questions. There was nothing to discuss, now was it?  
  
Picking up all the courage left inside of you, you lean back on the comfortable pillows, making sure none of your broken ribs were hurt by the slight movement. It felt rather strange to lean on the comfortable bed instead of the cold floor of the dungeon, but honestly, you were not going to nag about it at all. Demetri starts pacing the room up and down, back steadily turned towards you and when he did in fact turn, his burgundy eyes never met with your own, as if he was avoiding even registering your presence. If it was any other time, you would question him about it, or even swear heavily, but right now, you were extremely exhausted to do as much as give a single damn.  
  
Spacing out for a single bit, you allow your brain take you into faraway places, were your family is left once again heartbroken by all your broken promises. It was dawning to you loud and clear right now that the Volturi were impossible to escape, no matter how much one tried. You narrowly escaped this time; your time in the dungeons was something that would accompany your nightmares for all the nights to come and honestly speaking, you would do anything not to induce it on yourself another time. So there was only one option left: surrender to them. Since there was no way out, you would have to deal with your problems and not escape them. You were just so cursed.  
  
Spacing out for good over there, you fail to realize that a certain someone was looking at you, only to find Demetri already staring at your face, peacefully observing you in that special way which made you feel as if you were something of extreme rarity and wonder. He had stopped pacing up and down and was now staring at you shamelessly, his hands wrapped behind his waist and his posture as stiff as a statue’s. Who knew for how long he was staring? It surely made a rich red heat up your face unwillingly. Damn him and his shameful effect on you!  
  
‘Well this is not creepy at all.’ You chuckle, the sudden convulsing of your chest offering you a sharp pinch of pain, making you wince.  
  
He didn’t seem to notice; at least it appeared so since his expression never altered from his emotionally vacant one. He was a complete, perfect statue of pure beauty right across from you.  
  
His silence only prompts you to speak more ‘How long was I out?’  
  
This seemed to put him into motion ‘You were down in the dungeons for about two weeks.’ He says, his voice sounding like pure bliss for your ears; no matter how stern it really was.  
  
You swallow hard, pushing your thoughts to focus ‘And how long am I here?’ damn, your voice was still a bit hoarse from all the screaming.  
  
‘Three days. I healed most of your injuries with my venom, but the infections made your fever skyrocket; you needed me close to cool you down.’ He said calmly, a dark shadow darkening the luxurious red of his orbs; why? You didn’t have a clue.  
  
‘Than-‘  
  
‘How can one be so extremely fragile and vulnerable?’ he cuts you off, stating his question in the same manner he would ask you about the weather outside.  
  
In his words, your lips half open in awe and your eyebrow arcs in curiosity as you struggle to answer the simple question which sounded so strange for your ears. It had completely slipped your attention that in all the centuries Demetri has lived, he was probably completely forgotten his human days and what meant to be an easy target to eliminate. It comes with the perks of being an invincible immortal, you thought.  
  
Still, you try to explain things the best you can ‘I-I think it comes with the perks of being a human. We can get killed quite easily.’ You admit ‘For example, you can smash my brains in with a simple move, right here, right now. We are as vulnerable as soap bubbles unfortunately.’  
  
  
He seemed to think about it for a second ‘This can change easily. For you at least.’  
  
Now you were completely puzzled ‘What do you mean?’  
  
‘All it would take from my part’ he says, his voice barely above a whisper ‘Is a simple bite. Then, you would no longer be as fragile. You will be invincible.’  
  
‘I can’t understand-‘ Demetri could swear he heard your mind click at that point, before you turned and looked at him wide eyed ‘You mean turn me into a vampire?’  
  
‘Yes.’ He simply admitted.  
  
You scoffed humorlessly, averting your gaze from his own to rest your head against his chest ‘I am sorry Demetri, but immortality is out of the question. You wouldn’t bare with me for the rest of eternity.’  
  
‘You have found yourself so close to Death and in the end, you still choose that option?’  
  
‘There is no option! If you want to make me suffer, then go ahead! Turn me!’ this time, it was the last drop that made your temper skyrocket. You didn’t want to lash out like that, but hearing him ask questions like that, as if you were brain incapacitated and unable to make a single decision for yourself, it pushed you over the edge and made you want to smack him across his arrogant face. How can a filthy, immortal vampire, who had lost all happiness and meaning from his endless life, realize how wondrous it is to be a mere, insignificant human that can experience everything a thousand times more?  
  
‘You do not understand at all _____. Here I was, thinking you were at least rational!’ Demetri snaps back at you, his red eyes acquiring a dark shade of black as he took a threatening step towards you, which only ticked you off more.  
  
‘How dare you?! You! An emotionless man with no further purpose but to serve the self-proclaimed kings, how dare you tell me what I must do with my life?’ you yell at his face, your fiery eyes nailed on him and your voice dripping with venom on each single word ‘In the end of the day, what makes me so special?!’  
  
Demetri’s jaw closes sharply and tightens. He says nothing; for a few seconds that seemed like true eons, both of you remained there, in the middle of the medical room completely silent, staring at each other as if to try and discern which one of you was the mental one.  
  
Eventually, Demetri sighed and turned his back, walking over to the door and leaving you alone, but not before saying a laconicall ‘I will call the nurse.’  
  
Then, he left you completely alone.


	25. Chapter 22 Hidden Plans

‘Are you sure you are allowed to stand up miss _____?’  
  
‘I am positive I can do whatever I want if it doesn’t include running off again.’ You roll your eyes exasperatingly.  
  
‘I-I’m not so sure you are allowed to move around miss ____ maybe-‘  
  
‘Maybe you should let me do whatever the hell I want Valentina! I’m sure nothing will happen if I sit in front of the window, other than my skin producing vitamins! How dangerous can that be?!’ your voice finally reverberates around the small medical room as if it was a gunshot, laced with anger to a point of making the human woman standing right beside you take a few steps back.  
  
It wasn’t good to yell like that; especially since the brown-haired woman with the deeply brown eyes had done nothing wrong at all, other than coming inside this hellhole in the first place. Secondly, even after a week, your vocal cords were still a bit strained, making yelling like that dangerous; who wanted their cords completely shredded if they continued like that? But what were you supposed to do when you had an obnoxious human secretary following you around all day long to prevent you from doing even the ordinary things? You had grown tired of explaining your trips to the bathroom and your irritation to remain in bed all day. I mean yeah, Valentina wanted to make sure to follow Aro’s orders to the letter, but after a bit of time around her, she had finally managed to get on your nerves with her constant stares and her stories about how she was going to be the perfect vampire if Aro allowed it. It was her ‘big’ plans for the future that made you want to punch her across the face, as well as the fact you couldn’t get used to Gianna’s absence from your life. So even if you realized it was your sadness that made you hate the loud woman, it was also your patience in knowing she was probably going to die as well that you didn’t slap her not even once.  
  
‘Is she giving you a hard time _____?’ a familiar gruff voice sounded at that point from the door, drawing your attention from trying to move towards the window, only for your eyes to meet with vamp-Hercules himself standing at the door, wearing a sly smirk as he gazed at Valentina who grew abnormally quiet.  
  
You sigh tiredly ‘No Felix, she is not bothering me at all. I’m just stuck in here and it’s starting to get on my nerves.’  
  
Felix’s red orbs fall on your slumping figure which struggled with the crutches as if they were some kind of sticks ready to snap under your weight. Your jaw was tightened and by the concentrated expression painted across your face, he knew you were both in pain and trying your hardest to hide it. Honestly, Felix admired you for your fighting spirit, but today he wasn’t in the mood to let you struggle a bit before helping you out; you had been through enough already. So allowing an amused grin to spread across his face, he covers the distance separating you and raising his hand towards your back he grabs a fistful of your blouse and picks you up with no struggle at all, like your weight was non-existent. The moment your legs detach from the floor, you let out a surprised gasp and a low swear, turning to yell at Felix who seemed to enjoy your irritated expression to the fullest. But before you had the chance to grace him with various swears, the vampire had already walked over to the table next to the window, carefully placing you on the armchair before sitting right across from you.  
  
‘You enjoyed that didn’t you?!’ you spit at him, half-glad he helped you out, half-irritated for not asking first.  
  
His pleased expression though says he doesn’t even care ‘From all the time you’ve been around us _____, I have realized it’s useless to ask you anything.’  
  
‘Jee, thanks Felix. Remind that to me when we are having our asses whooped and I save the day once again.’ You roll your eyes, resting back at the armchair and allowing the warm sun fall on your skin like an angel’s touch; gracefully and filled with an all-too-familiar warmth.  
  
Felix only laughed ‘Arrogant aren’t we? Especially now that the restrainer is off.’  
  
He was right. One of the nice surprises in a long while when you woke up, was the fact you were not wearing the hateful restrainer around your neck anymore. Aro had ordered them to take it off for as long as you were in the healing process, hoping that your powers would activate enough in order to speed up the healing process. Alas, your broken ribs and shattered leg remained and you were unable to gather up the needed energy to do as much as offer yourself a gentle breeze to cool down. Only then the true purpose arose: the Volturi needed to see if you could still use your powers even under heavy injuries. The result was disappointing to both them and you; you had hoped to keep at least Valentina away from your room with some kind of barrier or at least make her stop talking, but both plans failed like any attempts to make pigs fly.  
  
‘Eh, arrogance is all I have left now that I’m useless. I can’t even walk Felix!’ you exclaim, turning to gaze at the muscular man, who only leans forward in his chair.  
  
‘You shouldn’t have run.’ He simply said.  
  
‘Wouldn’t you do the same if you were me?’  
  
Felix remains silent in this question and you immediately know you won the argument. But, there was no need inside of you to argue with the man at this moment, especially since you had been completely alone with Valentina for the past two days at least. You needed to talk with another person. At this thought, your head perks up to gaze at the door of the medical room, before turning back at Felix who was observing you with his eyes glistening with interest, as if you had just said the most interesting story ever uttered in history.  
  
‘Your other half isn’t coming?’ you ask, trying desperately to keep your voice even but failing miserably.  
  
‘Demetri is in a mission in Australia the past two days. He will be back tomorrow or the day after tomorrow.’ He informs you slyly.  
  
‘Too bad; I hoped he would die out there in the wilderness.’ You bite out, faster than what you had wanted to; damn your irritation!  
  
‘You are mad at him again? What did the poor bastard do now?’ the man laughs wholeheartedly, leaning back in his armchair and resting his hands on the side, looking at you with pure amazement for your actions.  
  
At first you wanted to scream _He didn’t come see me in an f*cking week or so! _but you would rather die a horrible death than express your true thoughts to anyone other than yourself. From the day Demetri left to notify the nurse you were awake, after literally ejecting himself away from the bed as if you were some three headed mythical and venomous monster, he never came back leaving you both puzzled and annoyed beyond yourself. It wasn’t his usual behavior and even after fights he usually stalked around you to either make snarky comments or annoy you in any possible way he could think of, but not this time. This time he was distant and abnormally quiet, avoiding you as if you were the plague. And you might be beaten up, but you are in no way unable to place two and two together.  
  
You simply couldn’t stop thinking about him, waiting patiently for him to walk these doors and annoy you even further.  
  
As you were unable to stop yourself from thinking about the heated kiss you both shared. The feeling of his soft lips against your own, the way he pushed you hard against the wall, the divine taste of lilac and his soft locks under your fingers; the intoxicating feeling of wanting only more from him, to be completely consumed and surrender in front of him. The way your heart pounded in your ears and the way your bodies cupped perfectly together. Then you remembered the way he rushed to get away from you and the medical room. These two feelings of complete lust and soaring pain battled inside your head for days, bringing forward questions you wanted to ask but never got the chance to do so: why did he leave? Why wasn’t he around like before? He wasn’t thinking about the kiss the way you did? What on Heaven’s name was going through his mind, because in yours, you were ready to jump on him and shred him in half if he continued denying you answers. What the Hell did he want from you anyway?  
  
All of your emotions must have passed through your face in such magnitude that Felix was able to read every single one of them, with his amused expression only being highlighted more and his smile turning completely devious.  
  
‘He’s that oblivious that you like him huh?’ he asks, taking you by surprise.  
  
‘What the hell are you talking about?!’ you exclaim loudly, but the rich red color spreading across your face betrayed you right away ‘I don’t like that arrogant prick at all. He is a pain in my ass!’  
  
‘Surely. Keep telling me that, you might get to believe it in the end.’ Felix leans back on the armchair and averts his gaze to Valentina who was standing in the far corner ‘Bring ____ some tea.’ He ordered, with the woman rushing to obey immediately.  
  
The moment she is gone out of the room, Felix’s gaze turns to you and the amused look disappears, giving space to a thoughtful one which you saw so rarely on the man. Still, he allows you time to gather up your thoughts and eventually talk first, speaking what you wanted to say from the start.  
  
‘He never ignored me in the past. I don’t know what to do.’ You admit, sighing deeply.  
  
Felix rolls his eyes ‘____ you are a clever woman, you know exactly what he is doing and what you should do as well. Don’t play dumb.’  
  
In his words, your head tilts to the side with your brain failing to comprehend what he was suggesting to you. How did you already know what to do? I mean, Demetri was avoiding you all day long, playing ha-……….waaaaaaittttttt…….oh no he didn’t! Demetri was playing hard to get! The Volturi Casanova was actually playing hard to get with a mere human. He was ignoring and avoiding you, but still kissed you the first chance he got. And you were too dumb to realize it from the start. But right now, as your brain immediately clicked, bright light shone behind your (e/c) orbs as you looked up at Felix who was already smiling deviously knowing you were just on the right track. And may God help Demetri you already had a plan on how to mess with him. You could hardly wait for him to come back!  
  
‘I brought you the tea miss ____!’ Valentina entered the room and walked towards you with a big smile plastered on her face.  
  
The beautiful woman was carrying a silver tray with a single cup of tea and a plate with cookies, but in her rush to bring them to you she was careless. The heel of her shoe was suddenly caught on the edge of the luxurious carpet, leading her to lose her balance and begin to fall, letting out a small yelp that reached your ears as fast as your head turned towards her only to see her already falling. Your reaction is immediate. Your bandaged left hand shots out at the same time that your right one attempts to help you stand by grabbing the side of the chair; ignoring the soaring pain on your sides, you inhale a deep breath and prepare to stand up only for a warm sensation spread out of nowhere on your fingertips. And the whole scene in front of you freezes.  
  
Everything that was right in front of you, the tray, the cup, the liquid tea and the cookies were flying in mid-air, fast to be pulled towards the ground at the very same moment your fingers point straight at them. Once they do, you have to blink several times to realize what is going on. All of them freeze in midair. All of them remain in the very same position as they were when you pointed out at them, just like they would do if they existed in some zero gravity zone. They floated around in the air, shining under the strong sunlight coursing through the vast windows and earning the surprised exclamation of wonder and amazement from Valentina’s lips. From your point of view, you were so taken aback by the sudden use of your powers you did not know how to react.  
  
‘Fascinating.’ A melancholic voice reaches your ears.  
  
‘The human appears to be less useless than I thought.’ A silver voice comments, drawing your attention.  
  
At the threshold of your room, Marcus and Caius, the Volturi leaders were standing and currently observing the spectacle lay before their eyes, one with a melancholic glance and the other with a sinister smile. The moment you see Caius, terror shots through your body and the stuff fall clumsily on the floor as you try both to keep your cool and not scream out in horror.  
  
Still, Caius offers you a sullen look ‘We have work for you.’  
  


**~ ~ * ~ ~**  


  
**_Two days earlier_**  
  
  
  
Demetri walked the empty corridors with his steps taking him further towards the Volturi throne room. Everything around him were eerily quiet and dark, with the faint lights of the crystal chandeliers breaking the shadows only a bit while they created specks of light that normally would draw anyone’s eye out of reflex; vampires though were excluded from this rule, their vision never surrendering to petty things like that. The vampire tracker followed the corridor faithfully; his extremely sensitive senses could pick up the presence of his fellow Volturi members but no one other than a particular one were close enough. It was a busy night tonight for everyone and surely, he had the mission with the most importance. Tonight though he was meeting Aro with a request of his own and a rather interesting suggestion to back it up. If he knew his master well after all those centuries, he knew he would probably find it to his liking.  
  
The huge double doors open wide right in front of him and Demetri enters the throne room with his head held high proudly, his vigilant gaze falling on the First Leader who was sitting on the middle throne calmly, having wrapped his fingers together under his chin. As a lower vampire, Demetri seizes his steps and courtly bows a bit in front of Aro, with his pitch black hunting clothes rustling at the movement. With only the light of the candles illuminating the marble room, the throne room appeared haunted and intimidating under the midnight darkness, while the Leader reflected his true threatening nature for the first time. Seeing Demetri, Aro unfolds his hands to allow then to rest on the arms of the throne as he gently nods at Demetri to get a bit closer.  
  
‘I see you have prepared yourself for the journey.’ Aro pointed out the obvious.  
  
‘Everything is prepared for my departure. I will be leaving immediately after, Master.’ The man informs him and Aro gives him an approving smile.  
  
‘Our friends Vladimir and Stefan have remained a bit too quiet this past decade. I would like to make sure they are behaving themselves accordingly.’ He says.  
  
Demetri offers a small, arrogant smirk ‘It will not take me too much to find them and report back; generally, they fail at concealing themselves.’  
  
‘That is the fortunate part. I would not be happy with myself if I kept you away from _____ for too long.’ Aro gently comments ‘It is impolite to keep a lady waiting.’  
  
In Aro’s comment, Demetri stiffens for a mere millisecond; enough for Aro’s watchful eyes to notice unfortunately.  
  
‘Is there something wrong Demetri?’  
  
‘Of course not my Master.’ The tracker rushes to explain ‘May I make a suggestion though? If you allow me to.’  
  
‘Talk freely my old friend.’ Aro urges him to continue with a gentle wave of his hand.  
  
‘It appears that ______’s wounds this time may be deeper than what we anticipated. Her mortal state and the time she passed in the dungeons have deteriorated both the physical and mental state too much. She was suffering from the fever for quite a few days and even now, she is plagued by nightmares.’  
  
‘Caius has been a bit tough with her. I told him to be lenient but… he never listens.’ Aro said, more to himself than to Demetri.  
  
Demetri’s jaw tightened; he had seen what Caius was capable of in all those centuries he was with the Volturi, but seeing what he had done to the vulnerable you made the tracker realize the Master had certainly crossed the line. Demetri sincerely feared you were going to die the very first days you were out and burning up but thankfully he had managed to cool you down. The hallucinations subsided and from his observations every night, your nightmares did too; he didn’t forget you calling him Embry and telling him you loved him though. It stung him in a rather nastier way than what he could admit. Still, it didn’t stop him from coming to see if you were alright before he left tonight; your sleeping form surely appeared relaxed.  
  
Which only urges him to speak up ‘This is why I have come to you tonight with a suggestion, Master.’ he admits, drawing Aro’s attention once again and Demetri counts his every word carefully from now on ‘_____ has been longing for her home for quite a while now; she has proven so by trying to run away and enduring punishment for that. So instead of showing her the strict side of the Volturi, we can pose as lenient and allow her a brief return to her hometown; this way, her attempts to run away will seize in hopes of returning there with the Masters’ blessings every now and then. Of course, she will be escorted by me personally and closely watched in case any ‘interferences’ happen. If we can offer her that, we can earn her trust easily and make her do anything.’  
  
Aro’s expression seemed skeptical and the Master folded his hands under his chin once again ‘What purpose will that serve though?’  
  
Demetri’s shoulders relax a bit as the man lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding ‘I am planning on keeping her here, tied to the Volturi forever; for now my attempts seem to work so I am planning on eventually turning her into one of us in the near future. By doing that, we can maintain her fragile trust forever and not shred it by forcing her into vampirism. If she turns while trusting us, she will forever be by our side.’  
  
Aro fell into deep thought with Demetri’s suggestion, the manipulative man weighting the odds he was presented with at the moment. Of course, you were an all-too-valuable piece in his chess game, maybe an eventually equal one to Alec and Jane, so losing you for whatever reason was out of the question. So knowing that along with what has happened between you and Demetri, presents him with an opportunity of a lifetime he couldn’t disregard like that.  
  
‘My dear Demetri’ he smiles calmly ‘I congratulate you for your suggestion; it seems to me like the perfect opportunity to keep our dear ____ with us forever. Alas, I have to warn you about one thing.’  
  
Demetri listens very carefully, waiting for Aro to continue, which the man does. Aro smiles a truly sad smile filled with pity before he continues on.  
  
‘The Distorter Clan is indeed blessed with extraordinary abilities, ones us vampires can only and merely begin to imagine. But as it is with all nature, with great power comes even greater disadvantages. In our dear _____’s situation –and the same goes for the rest of her clan- the more frequently and powerfully she is using her powers, the more years of her lifespan she consumes. As she uses her powers, she is in fact using up her own lifespan, bringing her more and more steps closer to her death. This is why the Distorter Clan used to be great in numbers but never reaching more than fifty years of age. And in our dear ____’s case, from what I have gathered by her memories and the use of her powers, she may or may not reach her thirty-fifth year of age.’  
  
‘She is already dying?’ Demetri exclaimed, truly horrified with the revelations for the first time in his undead life; the thought of losing you was the least terrifying for a strange reason. Just as it had been when he thought you would die after coming out of the dungeons.  
  
Aro nodded ‘Unfortunately she is. So I suggest you make your moves to earn her trust fast and in total secrecy. We can’t lose her for a single miss-step. She is far too valuable.  
  
‘As you wish my Master.’ Demetri nodded and bowed; the two men swore to never reveal this plan to anyone else.

Little did they know that Heidi was looming behind the closed door and had heard everything.


	26. Chapter 23 Cat and Mouse Games

A knock reverberated inside the silent room from the door.  
  
Immediately, your (e/c) orbs avert themselves towards it, only to hear a familiar, luxuriously full voice reach your ears, sounding sturdy but a bit hesitant.  
  
‘Are you prepared yet ____?’ Demetri said from the other side of the door.  
  
‘I am still naked but please do come in.’ you throw deviously in return, picking your (h/c) locks up in a messy ponytail.  
  
Honestly speaking, you could have sworn Demetri must have rolled his eyes before reaching for the doorknob and opening the door, he and Felix walking inside the medical room to find you both fully dressed and expecting them. It was just yesterday that Demetri returned back at the castle and to say he was avoiding you like you had some disease was the least you could say; he would simply refuse to stay in the very same room with you alone for more than five minutes and he would proceed to answer you only when it was necessary and even then, he would do it with complete formality, avoiding your stare skillfully if you could add.  
  
It kind of reminded you of the first days you spend in this hellhole and it was not helping with your fragile temper at all. So instead of grabbing him by the neck and knocking his head against the surrounding walls until it eventually cracked open, you preferred to play the sly game. For example, yesterday you needed some help getting out from the bed so of course you called out for him, knowing extremely well that he was standing guard just outside your door. What Demetri didn’t know as he came in was that you were wearing the sexiest pajamas in your wardrobe; a white scoop neckline, linen pajama blouse and shorts with off-white lace trims. They hugged your figure quite perfectly, pointing out discretely your chest and thighs. It surely did come as a surprise to the immortal man the moment he saw you stepping out of the bed –no matter how clumsily due to your cast- wearing them and you mentally high-fived yourself when you saw his red eyes taking in your enticing spectacle; before of course they were averted to every possible surface other than you. You did hit bull’s-eye though. And consequently, you were in a better mood today, having agreed with Felix to a plan made by yours truly in order to mess with Demetri a bit and have fun. So the moment the two men step a single foot inside, you cock your eyebrow towards Demetri and a sly grin appears over your face.  
‘You spend no chance to see me naked, now don’t you Demetri?’ you tease him, throwing your bandaged hands on your sides to rest on your hips.  
  
Truth be told, you weren’t the ultimate sexy beast out there with the cast on your left foot and the bandages covering both your hands, still you had tried your best to appear so. For example, you were currently wearing a pink sports bra with a wide scoop neckline, matched with black leggings and running shoes. It left your stomach completely exposed, leaving some of your bruises visibly appear as blue spots on your (s/c) skin, but other than that, you looked amazing and totally enticing. Surely, it had taken you a while to get dressed with the cast on, but you were completely ready for the practice today with the two guards. You were ordered to try and practice using your powers in such way that would prevent you from using too much energy as well as learn to move with the cast on. Honestly, you wouldn’t deny learning to do that, since having to call Valentina to help you all the time had started getting on your nerves in a worse way than your actual inability to move.  
  
‘Well you kno-‘  
  
‘Felix did you buy me the things I wanted from the shops?’ you cut Demetri off obnoxiously, turning your full attention to Felix and beaming him a huge and warm smile, leaving Demetri with his mouth hanging open with surprise.  
  
Felix smiled deviously ‘Of course I did. Five chocolates, two books from American literature and the dress you ordered are waiting for you in your room.’  
  
‘Thank you love.’ You smile at him ‘And the books are…?’  
  
‘Edgar Allan Poe, Poem collection and Fitzgerald ‘The Great Gatsby.’  
  
‘Perfect! Thank you!’  
  
Demetri chooses that moment to intervene ‘I went to town as well, why didn’t you-‘  
  
‘I didn’t want to trouble you with things like that Demetri. You have more important matters to take care of.’ You cut him off, offering him a forced smile.  
  
He notices immediately and his majestic red eyes are covered by a dark shadow the moment his jaw tightens ever-so-slightly; the faint movement alerted you that he didn’t take your words as nicely and he knew you were making fun of him. Too bad though. Sorry, not sorry.  
  
‘Shall we go?’ you look at them both and Demetri is about to raise his hand towards you in order to carry you to the training room, but you have already averted your gaze to Felix, grabbing his hand flouncily and jumping on his hands like a small child, leaving Demetri there, hanging and dumbstruck. He just simply couldn’t process what just happened.  
  
Giggling like a small child, you give Felix a kiss on the cheek, knowing perfectly well that Demetri was watching you before all of you turned and walked towards the training room. In all the time it took you to reach the room, you spend it talking with Felix and joking among yourselves happily, leaving Demetri out of the jokes and the conversation on purpose. The man walked beside you silently, his even and emotionless face betraying no emotion at all even if you knew he was probably boiling underneath his façade with rage; the constant stare you felt melting away the back of your head was a sure proof about it but you chose to ignore it to further get into the man’s nerves. If he seriously thought even for a second, that he was allowed to play with you like you were some kind of live-sized doll, he was seriously mistaken and you would make sure to prove it to him the hard way. Ain’t nobody’s gonna mess with your heart and leave you hanging like that. You were a lot of things, but you surely weren’t a fool.  
  
Reaching the training room, Felix gently lets you stand in the middle of it, with you throwing your full body weight on your right leg, trying to apply as less pressure on your injured one as you can. Your attention is shortly distracted by Demetri who walks to stand right in front of you, tying his hands behind his back and looking at you seriously. If a single gaze could kill people, then you would already be dead, you thought. He seriously looked pissed off and trying to hide it and you felt your insides warm up with wild satisfaction.  
  
‘For starters, you are going to learn how to walk. Understood?’  
  
Pushing back a defiant smile as a response to his authoritative voice, you throw your hand in salute over your face and straighten your back ‘Yes sir!’ you giggle mockingly.  
  
‘Focus. Nobody is going to catch you if you fall in the middle of it. You have to walk towards me and then you can rest.’ He pointed out.  
  
‘Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed today. Oh wait…!’ you laughed a bit, seeing the flash of anger passing through his manly characteristics, but instead of continuing on, you let him boil in his anger.  
  
Averting your attention to your heavily wrapped with cast leg, you gently guide your hands towards it, trying to concentrate as much as you can. The familiar tingling feeling rushes like hot lava towards your fingertips and you can literally see the air being distorted around the edges of your skin, the transparent element obeying you even in your weakened state. Seeing it, you can’t suppress the smile creeping its way on your lips, triumphantly pleased with yourself that you were able to actually regain some of your powers. Minding to keep your concentration, you gently move your hands downwards, forcing the transparent force field to slowly but steadily spread throughout your cast, covering it inch by inch and lifting the weight placed upon it by your body. Then, you move it upwards a bit, o wrap around your waist in order to support you fully. It was a strange feeling; you felt as if a concentrated wave of strong air was trying to brush your skin away, managing only to tickle you a little bit.  
  
When you are sure that everything is alright, you return your gaze to Demetri, who only nods wordlessly.  
  
And you raise your foot.  
  
Your breath is caught inside your lungs as you command the air vortex with your mind to move your foot forward and surely enough, you see it being moved ever-so-slowly. Mimicking the movements of steps, your leg gently touches the ground with all of your weight being held on by the air spell. Closing your eyes, you attempt the inevitable: you take a single step forward. Honestly, you expected to be greeted with extreme and merciless pain but the complete lack of it makes you flash your eyes wide open and your lungs to release the breath of air you didn’t even know you were holding. With your heart pounding loudly for every vampire inside the room to notice you can’t help but smile triumphantly; it was the first day in like ever that you didn’t feel completely useless.  
  
As you raise your head to look at Demetri, you see the man taking a step back, forcing you to take another one in order to reach him. With a sly smirk on his face, he takes another one. And another. And another. And before you know it, you find yourself trying to reach the man who constantly moves away from you with you limping heavily but determined to eventually reach him no matter the cost.  
  
‘Are you playing games with me you leech?’ you accuse him at some point, stopping on your tracks and leaning over a bit to catch your breath. It must have been over an hour of you trying to walk around and you were positively both exhausted and irritated.  
  
‘I should be the one asking you this ____.’ Demetri replies smugly, his dark gaze falling on you and traveling from your top to your bottom. There was a certain animalistic hue in the way he looked at you that actually managed to send shivers down your spine and electrifies your skin.  
  
Still, you offer him a playfully dark smile, one filled with hidden meanings ‘I don’t know what you are talking about.’ You shrug indifferently, flashing him your cat smile.  
  
Demetri though, was definitely not in the mood for any games today. His once wine red eyes went completely coal black in just a flash before his gaze turned ice cold and he disappeared from right in front of you. Needing not the soft air breeze to hit your face gently in order to realize, you feel his iron grip hug you tightly from around your waist and you are pulled against a sturdy chest that was cold and firm, leaving you no room to escape it at all. A red tint threatened to spill all over your face from the close proximity, but you drowned it down with a small chuckle as you raised your head and ever-so-faintly-and-playfully allowed your lips to brush over Demetri’s own. Slowly, playfully and above all temptingly.  
  
‘I will not ask you again.’ Demetri’s voice was clearly raspy and dark, reaching down to your stomach and turning it ‘What do you think you are doing?’  
  
He knew you were playing with him. You knew it, he knew it, everyone did. Actually, you really weren’t that naïve to believe you could trick a Casanova in his own game; he had mastered it long ago before you came into the picture. What he didn’t know though, was that he had finally met a worthy rival to play with. So inhaling a soft breath, allowing your chest to rise and fall against his and knowing he was observing each and every move you made, you smiled at him.  
  
‘I am just having some fun Demetri. Every girl is allowed to play around every now and then.’ You look at him straight in his eyes, allowing your words to sound with a double meaning ‘But this time, it won’t be over until I say so.’  
  
For the first time, you had a vampire completely frozen on his spot by the surprise; your words and actions had finally drilled themselves into his brain, eating it away from the inside for good. And all Demetri could do right now, was stand there and watch it happening. With a large smile on your face, you release yourself from his grip and blowing him a small kiss sweetly, you turn on your heel and walk out of the training room, leaving the vampire Casanova completely frozen in his spot, resembling more of a statue than a lively man.  
  
Walking away from him, you keep your head held high and your movements as graceful as it was ever possible, clearly feeling his piercing gaze burning away your back and doing your best to completely push it away from your mind. Playing indifferent was never easy with Demetri but if you wanted to mess with him badly, you should definitely be patient. And boy-oh-boy what other things you had in store for him. You could hardly wait.  
  
He was sure to grand your assumptions eventually.  
  
Counting barely an hour and a half in which you ate and watched the sun go down in the distant horizon over Voltera, you felt his presence approaching from the end of the corridor outside your room, from the way the air shifted and coursed through his clothes. Patiently, you stood up, using your newly found trick to walk yourself towards the bathroom door before the door of your room flung open and a very disheveled Demetri came inside. If he was still a human, it was sure he would be panting hard; from the way his hair was in a beautiful disarray and his clothes were not as sharp as they usually were, it was obvious he ran all the way here from God knows where. The moment he passes the door, his watchful gaze scans everything around him until he finally locates you, hand suspended over the bathroom doorknob and gaze looking at him expectantly.  
  
‘Hasn’t anyone ever taught you to knock Demetri? I could have been naked.’ You joke evilly, watching realization dawn inside his eyes.  
  
Still, he tried to play it cool ‘There has been an incident. Aro wants us to gather in the throne room.’ He announces.  
  
Raising your eyebrows in mock surprise, you try to sound as innocent as you can ‘How much time do we have?’  
  
‘We need to get there immediately.’ He warns you, his gaze darkening considerably as he glared at you, expecting something to happen.  
  
‘Perfect!’ you exclaim ‘Then I’m going to take a nice shower and we can go!’  
  
Demetri’s eyes now flashed with annoyance, realizing you were once again back at messing with him and purposely trying to stall in order to get him into trouble. You glare at each other for a few seconds, turning what once was a calm conversation –or at least it appeared like that- into a battle royal of who would back down first, with you smirking devilishly at him. It was he final straw in Demetri’s anger filled glass. The man takes a few threatening steps towards you, his luxuriously red eyes fixated on your petite form as he walks over to grab you and make you follow him, only to once again beat him to it.  
  
The moment you see him narrow the distance between you two, your reaction is immediate. Your hands fly on the edges of your blouse and grabbing the soft fabric tightly, you pull it off of you, revealing your bra and your soft skin to Demetri’s eyes before throwing it to the side. Demetri, the all-too-powerful tracker, the one thousand year old vampire who has slept with countless women and fought countless enemies, Demetri the Head of the Volturi Guard freezes solid the moment his eyes fall on yur almost bare chest. His body is nailed on the spot and his eyes turn pitch black with a certain hunger devouring them, taking you aback for only a split second before you manage to recompose yourself.  
  
‘Shower first, Volturi later.’ You chirp, voice sounding a bit higher than what you intended it to sound, reacting to the man’s ominous aura before you quickly shoved yourself inside the bathroom, closing the door loudly behind you.  
  
Quickly, you got down on washing yourself, wanting to make the man wait for you while boiling inside like hot lava, but you were not stupid to forget that you should not make the Masters wait longer than they should. It would buy you a one way ticket back to the dungeons with no chance of coming back alive. So you carefully calculated the time you had in your disposal, stepping out of the shower and reaching out for a towel when one amazing idea came in your mind. Ignoring the towel hanged right next to you, you navigate completely naked towards the door and opening it, you let only your head pop out.  
  
‘Demetri, can you do me a favor?’ you ask when you see the man walking up and down the room restlessly, pausing only when he heard your voice.  
  
In response, you smile ‘Can you get me the towel?’ pointing at the spare towel lying on the table.  
  
The man grabs it sharply and gives it to you, his anger hanging like a dark cloud over his head, throwing him lightning. Taking the towel though, you turn around leaving the door a bit open as you wrap it safely around yourself, looking at the man’s reflexion on the opposite mirror and having a grand view to him as he took in the spectacle of your naked back when you wrapped the towel. And then, just as if you had just burnt him with hot iron, he averts his gaze, throwing a hand over his mouth in order to calm down.  
  
Mission accomplished, you thought victoriously, still following him with your gaze as he continued pacing up and down the room restlessly while you got dressed. You had to admit you liked this side of him; the side that still remained vulnerable –and even human if you were ever allowed to say- and seeing the usually strictly composed and calm man actually lose his mind with just a few tricks from your side, made an fascinating feeling arise inside your chest. As if hot lava sprang from your heart and traveled all the way down to your stomach, melting everything in its path and leaving you a gasping mess. Seeing him like that, vulnerable and open, didn’t help as well; feeling his cold lips against your own or the softness of his hair among your fingers didn’t either. But knowing he was trying to play hard to get only made you want to torture him even more. Just like when you stepped out of the bathroom with a huge grin of absolute defiance and evilness, allowing him to lead the way first. The man walked past you after inhaling a sharp breath you were sure he wouldn’t let go of until he was on safe ground. Honestly, you didn’t feel bad at all.  
  
On your way to the throne room, you barely exchange a few words, mostly him answering your questions about the meeting with a laconicall ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. it was fun; at least you were having fun until the double doors of the elevator opened and a familiar and extremely obnoxious voice reached your ears.  
  
‘Demetri baby, there you are!’ Heidi pops out of nowhere the moment both of you enter the reception area; the beautiful woman was sitting nonchalantly on the comfortable living room, reading one of those fashion magazines but the moment she saw the Volturi tracker, she jumped up and in a flash was by his side, hugging his right hand and batting her long eyelashes towards him in a way you found both surprising it was possible and vomiting.  
  
But it was what happened next that made your blood boil.  
  
Demetri breathed out, shoulders relaxing and his body posture appearing to loosen up ‘Aren’t you supposed to be on a hunt Heidi?’ he replied, a small smirk gracing his lips.  
  
The death glare you threw at both of them could have easily made a human combust. Anger infiltrated your mind like a silver mist coursing through the vast valleys of a deep forest; it reached each and every inch of you, making your breathing stop, your fists to clench into two balls and your vision to turn utterly red. How dare he smile to her? How dare he smile to her like that when he declared she meant nothing to him as he was kissing you? Who the f*ck did he think he was?  
  
F*ck you Casanova leech!  
  
Instead of smiting them both to hell, you decide to apply complete control over your emotions. Raising your head high and straightening your back proudly, you turn on your heel and walk down the corridor, leaving them behind. There was not a single chance to let Demetri know how badly angry you were towards him right now, every normal person would have blamed Heidi for her continuous attempts to flirt with him, but you knew better than that; you knew it was completely Demetri’s fault for not setting things right with her when he wasn’t interested. But then again, his actions show he is not interested in you! Otherwise why was he flirting with Heidi and avoiding you? But may you be damned if you allowed him to play with your emotions! Nobody plays with your feelings and gets away with it. He would pay!  
  
Walking by the reception desk, your gaze is drawn by none other than Valentina who was talking vividly over the phone, paying no attention to her surroundings. Her giggles were a bit louder than they should be, so you try your best to walk past and ignore her, when her next sentence draws your attention.  
  
‘Yes, mister Luce. I will give your greetings to mister Aro.’  
  
At that point, just as you were about to walk past her, you stop dead on your tracks an turning your full attention to her.  
  
‘Is that Luce Martelo you are talking with Valentina?’ you ask the older woman, distracting her attention.  
  
‘Yes miss ____.’ She replies.  
  
In her words a sly smirk spreads over your face ‘Let me talk to him please.’ You ask mischievously and raise your hand toward her in order to get the phone.  
  
As the woman prepares to hand it over to you though, you feel a soft air breeze fall on the side of your face. Realization was slow to dawn on you though and before you even know it, an iron vise wraps around your delicate wrist, fastening on it with such power it made our bones creek hideously. An exclamation of pain leaves your lips and you try to pull your hand away, but instead you are yanked harshly back against a cold and sturdy chest as another hand grabs you by the shoulders. Cursing loudly from all the pain, your eyes immediately dart upwards in order to locate your enemy and defend yourself, only to meet with two blazing red orbs. Demetri had pulled you out of reach for the phone and was currently looking down to you with nothing but anger staining his face; by the harsh way he was holding you, you knew this was serious but instead of cowering before him, you choose to defiantly stare him back.  
  
A low growl, barely audible by anyone other than you, erupts from his neck as his lips part ‘Now you have done it.’  
  
Everything blurs around you.  
  
The next thing you feel is your back connect with the merciless wall.  
  
From the sudden collision, your already pained and bruised back produces a pain so sharp, it splits your mind in half and your lips half-open to release the pained scream they were holding. Squirming around immediately, you toss and turn like a madwoman but Demetri’s grip is too powerful to yield. Eventually, you just drop your attempts and open your eyes, only to find yourself on a remote, half-lit hallway with Demetri a few inches away from your face, observing you irritably. As soon as he realizes you have stopped your already failed attempts on escaping, he shoves you once again backwards, completely cupping his muscular body against your own.  
  
A wild shiver shoots down your spine and it wasn’t due to your complete contrast in body temperature.  
  
‘Luce Martelo? Really now _____? I thought I had made myself clear not to talk to him ever again.’ He breathes out so dangerously close, you could practically feel his breath brushing against your skin, a closeness that sent your heartbeat skyrocket while your blood froze completely.  
  
Composing yourself as quickly as possible, you glare back at him ‘Oh really? When did you become the boss of me Demetri?’  
  
Anger flashes across his pitch black eyes ‘You will not talk to him ever again, understood?’ he says, his voice highlighting each and every word with extreme warning.  
  
‘I will talk to whoever the f*ck I want. You should go play with your vampire slut and leave me alone.’ It was your time to spit on his face.  
  
Demetri blinks a few times, his eyebrows furrowing in order to meet with one another over his eyes ‘I wasn’t playing with Heidi ____.’  
  
‘Of course you weren’t.’ you laugh back humorlessly ‘You know what, I am tired; there was nothing going on between us to begin with.’  
  
This time, Demetri’s gaze darkens so much, it actually scared the living hell out of you; with this expression on, you could see why all the vampires feared him as much as the rest of the Volturi. You tried not to show how much it affected you, but you weren’t sure you had managed to pull it off.  
  
‘And what about the kiss ____?’ he uttered each word carefully, leaning in even more towards you, so much that your lips brushed against each other. His mesmerizing sweet smell overwhelmed you at that point, flooding your whole being and drowning your consciousness in the dangerously alluring fragrance. It blinded you and you had to order your mind mercilessly in order to focus once again.  
  
‘Eh, I had much better in the past.’ Even in your current dazed state, your sassier part was still going strong.  
  
Demetri chuckles, never believing a word you said ‘Then how about this one?’ he says.  
  
Before you had the chance to react, Demetri’s lips smash on yours violently, breaking and brushing away all of your resistances, making your head hit hard against the wall behind you. Somewhere in the back of your mind you noted down the pain resonating from it, alas you were too occupied to actually do something about it. Demetri was kissing you steadily and hungrily, giving you no room for any reaction. Your lips half open under his pressure and his tongue explores your mouth, steadily but decisively claiming it as his. The world around you seizes to exist at that very moment you decided to return the kiss, your mouths moving hungrily against each others. Your lungs were burning you for air but all you did was let out a cry of pain when Demetri roughly grabbed you by your lower waist and butt, grounding you on him with dominance.  
  
The lack of resistance from your part caused a large smile make his lips curve as he withdrew for a mere second, giving you the time to inhale a single breath.  
  
‘I believe you will agree with me now, right _____?’ he purrs seductively in your ear, making you lose whatever was left of your mind.


	27. Chapter 24 Standing In The Rain

‘This is enough.’ Jane commands.  
  
As if someone had turned a switch inside your head, you feel your energy seize to flow from your fingertips as soon as the girl commands it. Felix, who was previously raised in the air manages to land on his own two feet gracefully and beam the breathless you a big smile and a thumbs up to reassure you everything was going great. Trying desperately to inhale a full breath and calm your weary heart down, you return his smile with one of your own, leaning towards your knees in order to breathe more freely. Today marked the third day of your training and you had to admit everything was going more smoothly than what you expected them to go.  
  
It appeared Aro had appointed the only two vampires with offensive powers close to your own to properly train you for the battle that lied ahead for you. An army of newborn vampires were creating havoc in some random town and apparently it was bad enough to draw the Volturi attention; now, all of you must train hard in order to fight them and as always, the toughest part was with your own training. You had to both upgrade your fighting skills as well as learn to use your powers with the lesser energy needed. If things went as badly as Aro expected them to go, there was a chance of you falling into a coma again. And for that particular reason, he had appointed Jane and Alec to train you properly.  
  
Truth be told, you were not too excited to hear the twins were going to train you, considering the fact you and Jane didn’t have the best relationship especially after the time she spend torturing you in the dungeons. So, you expected her to use her powers on you in abundance the moment she would see you, but to your utter amazement, nothing like this happened. Instead of striking you upon eye-contact, Jane remained abnormally quiet and strict with the orders she was giving you about the usage of your powers. It wasn’t too hard to guess she was probably reprimanded by Aro and didn’t like it one bit; still there was nothing she could do other than train you. And for the past three hours, she was doing just that; making you raise various things from the ground and make them levitate around the room, she pushed you to your limits with you knowing pretty well she was enjoying it inside. Alec on the other hand, her twin, remained quiet throughout the whole training, looking at you with pure curiosity.  
  
‘Let’s call it a day; what do you say?’ you ask Jane, who only glares coldly at you before raising her nose with pride and walking out of the room with Alec hot on her tracks. This was surely your cue to relax.  
  
Passing your hand through your (h/c) hair you realize you were left alone inside the training room, since Felix had things to take care of and the twins were…well, the twins. Demetri wasn’t in the castle once again though, being sent off to some random mission for two days now, leaving you completely alone. Not that you argued though; the time spend with simply yourself was as exciting as it was interesting since you had dedicated yourself in exploring the endless castle as much as you could. It was a time consuming task which most of the times led you in front of doors heavily locked and unable to open, but there was not a single complain from Aro’s part not to do so. More than often you would be lead to discover pretty amazing spaces previously completely forgotten by anyone other than the servants. Just like the place you decided to go to right now.  
  
Making sure to put on your jacket –it was pretty chilly around Voltera lately since the heavily inked sky simply denied seizing to rain- you take off towards your small ‘sanctuary’ as you liked to call it. It was pretty far from the training room, but you allowed your feet to lead you mindlessly to it, paying little to no attention to your surroundings. Your thoughts were lately too occupied to produce any reasonable thought and in general, you had to admit you were unable to think straight. This last kiss you shared with Demetri, the intensity it withheld inside and the pure lust that coursed through your veins, poisoning you to the very core did nothing to help you gather your thoughts. It had granted your attempts to tempt a reaction out of him but now that it did, you didn’t really know where it got you. Yes, it was obvious you wanted one another. Only his mere existence inside the same room was enough to send your thoughts to hell, but other than that, what? Yes, you missed him like hell now that he was away and you simply couldn’t wait for him to come back. Yes, but what else? You dreamt about him as well, but what else?  
  
All those mixed emotions, all those mind-mixing thoughts did nothing to help you reach a decision that didn’t include hitting your head hard against a wall. This is where your ‘sanctuary’ came inside the picture.  
  
Being in the far northern side of the castle, on the top floor, it had a beautiful skylight covering all of the ceiling and offering plentiful light to anything under it. The whole place was decorated in the same Italian medieval aristocratic design as the rest of the castle, while various plants adorned it from one side to the other with their rich, deep green foliage reaching high up to touch the ceiling. Some marble benches were spread here and there among the paths but your most treasured thing inside the room, was a small fishpond located right in the middle of the room, surrounded by the most beautiful flowers you had ever seen in your life; daises, lilacs, lavenders, chrysanthemums, white roses and much more created the feeling of entering a true dream [land](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/bc/09/b7/bc09b79a561f173ddb715c3175fedb9a.jpg) were fairies and other elves resided. It offered you the peace of mind you so desperately needed.  
  
So the moment you find yourself stepping inside the room, you navigate straight to the fishpond, leaning to sit down on the edge of the concrete banister. Gently, you allowed your right hand to touch the clear water, letting out a small sigh of tiredness. Adding the sound of the rain which was mercilessly falling on the skylight above your head, you felt all the tension of the day being driven away.  
  
How did things come to this? How much your life changed in a matter of few months? Nothing you knew was the same anymore and you were stuck inside a foreign country with a vampire who did anything in his power to lure you in while his clan wanted to use your powers dry. Here you were though, still living with them and actually wanting the said vampire to stay by your side. If you could turn back time and say your past self about this, you would have probably guessed you had finally gone crazy. Especially since you had dreamt about your dead mother as you were being tortured. If anything was crazy with your life, this particular dream now that you recalled it surely took the cake.  
  
As you recalled everything you had seen though, your brain was sparked with curiosity. There was a symbol in your hand; right where your mother touched you in your dream, she left a symbol back that you could swear you had when you had woken up. Quickly, your eyes fall on your bandaged left hand as if you were just noticing the limb being there. Well, there goes nothing. Resting it on your legs, you loosen the knot and start unwrapping it carefully, not wanting to hurt any possible wounds in the process. Honestly speaking, you didn’t really know if you were looking for the same symbol or simply satisfying your wild imagination, but nevertheless you continued unwrapping the bandages with your heart beat quickening.  
  
Until you unwrapped it completely.  
  
And there the symbol was, engraved on your skin like a huge, red burn mark.  
  
It was utterly strange; even without the surprise for the fact it was actually there, you were taken aback by its strange appearance altogether. It was a small circle with another, half circle surrounding it; a strange sword-like mark, with two lines passing by it horizontally, pierced through the circles and appeared as if it formed out of the corner of the half-[circle](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/eb/65/6f/eb656f80ec3883ad1a0e3941dbc343bb.jpg). Last but not least, two dots adorned it from the left side, completing the strange mark and further baffling you.  
  
‘It is an ancient rune for protection. It was usually used in Romania.’ A voice draws your attention and you almost scream out loud from your surprise as you jump on your seat.  
  
Looking straight towards the direction from which the voice came though, you see Alec stepping in the small clearing through another path, looking at you with nothing but sheer curiosity painted across his angelic features. Under the strong light, he appeared even younger than he really was; not that being fourteen –as Demetri had told you- was not young enough already. The boy walks up to you nonchalantly, hands shoved in his pockets and gaze shifting from you to your mark, while he surely must have heard the sudden quickening of your heart.  
  
Pushing your fright aside, you try to recompose yourself ‘You know what this is Alec?’ you ask as politely as you can.  
  
Alec simply shrugs ‘My mother used to teach them to me when I was younger. I don’t know too much though.’ He admitted.  
  
You blink sheepishly ‘Oh I see. Thank you for telling me.’  
  
‘Are you okay? You used quite a lot of your powers today so I wanted to know if you are alright or needed anything. You know, with being human and all.’ He says innocently, walking a single step closer to you.  
  
From all the things you expected him to say, from all the things you expected Jane’s twin to say, this simple sentence which was filled with concern was certainly not something you would ever guess. In his words, surprise penetrates your mind and makes your lips half open in awe, leaving you dumbstruck for the first time since you had gotten inside this cursed castle. Alec though, seemed to genuinely wait for your response patiently.  
  
‘Are you actually asking me if I’m okay? Why? The first time we met you made fun of me.’ You question him as he walks to sit right across from you and you narrow your eyes on his form.  
  
He flashes you a small smile ‘Back then, you were the human who was going to die in a few days; Aro’s new experiment. Now, you are member of the Volturi Guard; a new addition to the family.’ He admits, his rich burgundy eyes shining under the light as he flashed you the first genuine smile you saw from the moment you stepped a single foot inside the castle almost three months ago.  
  
To tell the truth though, the smile separated Alec from his twin Jane so much. In that simple act, your watchful eyes caught a full glimpse to the young kid he was, the one who had also seen too much of the world all these years he existed and nonetheless kept a tight hold on a part of his innocence. This simple act made him appear as old as the day he was turned with nothing but goodness resting inside. No wonder the rest of the vampires called him Jane’s saner part; rest assured he was still all-too-powerful and ready to smite his enemies with a single blow but he was also just that. A kid. A still innocent yet powerful child which knew nothing of what was really going on around him. At that point, you kind of felt bad for him; what a pity to be turned in such a young age.  
  
Inhaling a sharp breath, your gaze softens considerably ‘I guess I am part of the gang now huh?’  
  
‘It’s not as bad as you think it is.’ He admits, resting his hands back and leaning in the same direction as he spread his legs in the front to rest them on his heels ‘The Masters aren’t so bad if you get to know them and the rest of us are like normal people like you, you know. We all have our pros and cons, just like any other human. It’s the appetite that changes.’  
  
‘Tell me about it.’ you scoff ‘I’m seriously wandering how nobody has bitten me yet.’  
  
Alec smiles, flashing you a full image of his suddenly threatening perfect teeth which shone under the faint light; was it just you or did his canines appeared threatening?  
  
‘These Cullens seriously struggle don’t they? Tell me _____ if I fed you only vegetables, every single day for a month would you be hungrier for meat as if you would be if I fed you all kinds of meat for a month?’ he asks.  
  
His point was as clear as the bright sky on a sunny day ‘I would not be able to stop myself actually.’  
  
‘Same goes for the Cullens as well; they are straining themselves and making it tougher to contain their hunger. In contrast though, we can stop ourselves from coming after you since we are frequently provided with good…food.’ He observes cleverly but still being too careful with how he handled the word ‘food’ in front of you. How considerate of him.  
  
Truth be told, he was right with everything he was saying. Maybe in their try not to hurt the humans, the Cullens were doing more bad than good. Thinking things through, you were so pulled away from what was happening around you that you barely noticed Alec standing up and offering you his hand to help you up, smiling devilishly down at you.  
  
‘What do you say we go for a walk?’ he offers, his red eyes shining under the light.  
  
You almost didn’t hear him. Almost.  
  
‘What do you mean by walk?’ you question him, curiosity penetrating your mind.  
  
Another smile ‘There is a place in Voltera I really like to visit when it rains and I thought you might want to come along with me to get some fresh air. It always helps me when I overuse my powers. What do you say?’  
  
You steadily stare back at him big eyed ‘Get out of the castle? Count me in.’  
  
‘You won’t mind me carrying you though right? This way we’ll reach it faster.’  
  
He smiles and the moment you nod, he walks up to you, passing his hands one behind your knees and one on your back; the small boy picks you up with one swift move and no problem at all, managing to surprise you once again with the pros that come with his vampire state. If he was human, there was no way he would be able to carry you around. Throwing your hands around his neck to steady yourself, you watch him as he walks up to a nearby window and opens it, allowing the loud sound of the rain flood your ears as he took a single step on the window sill, preparing to jump out.  
  
‘What if they find us?’ you say, tightening your hold around his neck and avoiding looking down at the distance that separated you from the ground.  
  
‘If you don’t let it slip, no one will know other than Aro.’ Alec laughs and with a gentle and graceful movement, he jumps off.  
  
Considering the fact you had been carried by Demetri countless of times, one would have guessed you had grown used to vamp speed or jumping off huge building as it was nothing. Well, nothing of that had ever happened. As Alec jumped off the tower and towards God knows where, you found yourself struggling to keep yourself from screaming bloody hell with your eyes closed tightly in order to save your brain from a spectacle like that. But as fast as you Alec fell, his feet connected with a solid surface and the boy started running on the streets and rooftops while carrying you like it was nothing. Rain was still cascading the iron-colored skies and by the time you felt Alec reduce his speed, you had already been drenched to the bone, shivering wildly but too drunk on adrenaline to notice.  
  
‘I am going to let you down; don’t open your eyes.’ Alec instructs and you nod to let him know you heard him.  
  
Carefully, the teen lets you stand on your own two feet, never letting go of your hand for a strange reason. Keeping to your promise you kept your eyes carefully shut, feeling the rain fall on your face and relieve you from the constant headache you seemed to have this past few days. It was numbing and refreshing to be standing like that and the cold wind coursing through everything around you only helped you inhale a deep breath of pure oxygen. For the first time in a long time, you felt calm; your heartbeat was beating steadily and loudly inside your chest, your ears were happy to welcome the sound of the constant rain with the rich aromas of earth entwined with water reaching your nose and blurring your senses, covering all the rest. And then, your eyelids flickered and opened, only to be greeted by a spectacularly grand view which took your breath away.  
  
You were standing on the southern side of the walls surrounding Voltera, standing right on top the small wall and gazing towards the hazardous cliff hanging threatenly a few inches away from your two feet, ready to devour you with any misstep you might take. Huge rocks would meet you in the bottom, so instinctively, you thank Alec for carefully holding on to you to prevent anything from happening. Still, when you raised your eyes to gaze far away, your breath was caught inside your lungs and your eyes opened wide with surprise. Far until the far horizon, even beyond what the eye could see, vast fields painted with the most vibrant green color spread, covering the spring valley surrounding Voltera with their trees or farmer fields. A small forest could clearly be seen in the distance, with the silver mist created by the rain creeping its way among the trees and giving it a haunting aura of wonder. The rain was reducing the colors a little bit in a more grayish color, but even that wasn’t enough at some points to overpower the vibrant emerald color created by Nature [herself](http://cache1.asset-cache.net/gc/476478749-view-of-the-valley-spring-in-volterra-italy-gettyimages.jpg?v=1&c=IWSAsset&k=2&d=T9o93jBUzOg0gVRW6%2FjPF6nraLVTml7cKRGwgfpGB1f0%2B9svyK6tYN%2FzyESqXM%2Bz). The scenery was grand and you could see why Alec had chosen it for some peace of mind; it was close enough to the Clock Tower but withdrawn enough for anyone to bother you, with the few houses standing behind you completely abandoned.  
  
As your gaze still remained on the horizon, Alec took his hooded jacket off and threw it on your shoulders, raising the hood to cover your head. It was only until then you realized you were freezing cold.  
  
‘Thank you Alec. It was sweet of you.’ You say, watching the vampire as he sat down and patted the spot right next to him for you to follow.  
  
‘You needed that jacket more than I did _____. Aro will not be happy with me if you catch a cold.’ The boy smiled at you sheepishly as you sat right next to him, bringing your knees against your chest to rest your chin on it.  
  
‘It’s beautiful here; it reminds me of my hometown back at Forks. So green and beautiful.’ You comment, letting out a small sigh filled with longing that Alec picks up immediately.  
  
‘How was your life back at your house?’ he asks, genuinely curious.  
  
‘Well, I had my father and friends to take care of all day long. I went to school, laughed with Bella and messed with Embry and Jacob. Sometimes I went surfing on the beach or walked around in the forest surrounding my home.’ You shrug ‘I guess I did what all teenagers do.’  
  
‘You actually went to school?’ Alec asks, his voice painted with nothing but curious excitement, making you turn and gaze at his red eyes with a small smile on your face.  
  
‘Why yes. Didn’t you go as well?’  
  
He nods ‘I only took a few classes with a vampire Master Aro brought us. Needless to say Jane killed her after a while. Back when I was human, there weren’t any schools to attend.’ He admits, taking you aback.  
  
‘Really now?’ you exclaim ‘Where did you live?’  
  
Alec’s gaze seems to wander off into the distance at the sound of your question, his eyes being overshadowed by a deep grief that had long ago healed but never really passed completely.  
  
When he opens his mouth to answer you, his voice was almost inaudible and extremely sad ‘Me and Jane were born in a small village in England, probably around 800 A.D. Our father was killed in the war and our mother was left alone to raise us both, against a whole village that thought of us as witches. They tried burning us at the stake, so you can guess there weren’t any schools around at that time.’  
  
As he concludes his sentence and turns to look at your reaction, the terrified you feels a chill run down your spine ‘Those f*cking idiots!’ you exclaim.  
  
Alec smirks ‘They weren’t so happy when Aro came in and saved us. They weren’t much alive as well.’  
  
‘This is probably the first and last time I’m going to say this, but You Go Aro!’ you exclaim, watching as the young teenager laughed merrily and feeling you heart warm up towards him. Maybe the Volturi did a bit good after all ‘And the rest of the guard was with them?’  
  
Alec nods ‘No, we found Demetri and Felix later on. Both of them were tough nuts to crack at first.’  
  
This draws your attention ‘Really? The law-abiding Demetri as well?’  
  
‘Especially him.’ Alec laughs ‘He was too connected with Amun, so it was quite difficult even for Aro to draw him by his side. When he did though, Demetri proved to be quite resourceful and never failed a mission. He messed around with a few girls and Heidi here and there, but it was obvious none of them quite fitted him. He seemed lonely even when he was with them. Still there were too many women.’ Alec comments thoughtfully ‘As for the missions, he always got them spot on; you should have seen him when you escaped. He just walked up to the door and left without saying a word to Aro. He was more than simply determined to bring you back.’  
  
‘I realized as much. Both for bringing me back and for the women.’ You comment darkly, keeping in mind everything Alec had told you. They were pieces of information you would most probably need in order to get to Demetri and make his life a living hell.  
  
‘So’ you ask, trying to change the subject ‘What is your favorite movie Alec?’  
  
Alec looks at you sheepishly ‘What is a movie?’  
  
You blink ‘I beg your pardon?’  


_ **~ ~ * ~ ~** _

  
  
Darkness had long ago fallen over the vast corridors of the Volturi castle. The few chandeliers hanging from the ceilings were offering just small fragments of light, unable to chase away the deep shadows that had prevailed everywhere the light could not reach, dancing gracefully over the cold walls and offering nightmares to any soul dueling among the corridors. Everything was silent and empty, the few vampires having withdrawn for the night and the only human fast asleep on her bed, sleeping away the fatigue of the day.  
  
There was only one vampire who was walking down the corridor in front of the throne room, walking hastily towards the human’s bedroom, a brand new laptop under his arm.  
  
Alec was walking towards your room hastily, taking advantage of the empty castle to complete the chore you had made him do. Honestly speaking, he couldn’t understand why you needed such mechanical gadget but your serious face as you declared to him you would make him watch a ton of movies and teach him what other teenagers his age were doing, was something Alec never had realized it could put him into such motion. He was excited; for the first time in centuries, he felt genuinely excited and rather comfortable being in the human’s presence. If he could describe it, he would say he felt much alive.  
  
‘Where are you going Alec?’ Aro’s voice pulled the teenager away from his thoughts, as he froze on his tracks and then turned to face the First Master who had just now walked out of the throne room and caught him.  
  
‘I am taking this machine to ____.’ He pointed at the laptop ‘She said she is going to teach me things I fail to know about the world and are of extreme importance. She seemed rather excited.’  
  
Aro raised an eyebrow ‘So the human and you are on good terms?’  
  
Alec beamed ‘She is very fun and cool to be around. So I will see you later Master.’ He said and turning on his heel continued down the corridor, navigating towards your room.  
  
Aro still stood there, a faint smile appearing over his lips.  
  
‘Very interesting indeed.’


	28. Chapter 25 Day Of The Dead

‘I can’t believe we are doing this all over again.’

  
  
‘It’s just a single night _____. Time will pass faster than you actually believe.’ Felix repeated for the millionth time.

  
‘One would believe the Masters wouldn’t attempt something like this after what happened last time.’ you roll your eyes, putting your shoe on and looking at Felix’s reflection on the floor mirror of your room.

  
‘This time no one will do anything. If they do, they will end up dead on the spot.’ Felix reassured you.

  
You scoff ‘That didn’t stop them in the past Felix.’

  
‘____ you should relax. The Masters are celebrating the Fall of the Romanian Coven. It’s a pretty big deal for us.’ Alec chuckled and explain to you, sitting on your bed nonchalantly and watching you calmly as you tried to straightened up your dress and control your anxiety as much as you could.

  
Things were definitely happening all around you these past four days and you found yourself inside their whirlwind, unable to do as much as seize to run around like all the others did. Apparently today marked the day that the Volturi annihilated the remaining vampires of the Romanian Coven, bringing peace to the vampire world at last. Alec had explained to you that it certainly was the battle that changed the vampire world once and for all, bringing upon it secrecy and withdrawal into the shadows, with the vampires seizing pretending to be some kind of Gods for the humans. The mindless slaughters and annihilations of entire cities came to an end and the supernatural world was drawn back into the shadows were it really belonged. So, every single year on April 19th vampires from every single corner of the earth would gather to Voltera to celebrate along with their Masters the fall of their previous dictators as they liked to call them. So tonight, there was a ball being held into the gardens once again and everyone –including you- was invited.

  
The Volturi had literally spend the last four days roaming around the castle in total upheaval, preparing every single detail so everything would be perfect for tonight. Honestly speaking, you had no need to lure yourself out of the protection of your room door and into the open in a castle filled with not-so-friendly vampires, especially since Demetri was away, but there was nothing you could do. Aro had requested you personally to be there and despite your protests about your safety, the First Master ordered Alec and Felix to stay with you throughout the night. Yes, Felix was the Hercules of vampires and maybe just as bloodthirsty as Cerberus and yes, Alec was one of the most feared vampires in existence due to his powers, alas you couldn’t keep a certain ounce of fear from nesting in your heart. Maybe if Demetri was here as well, you would feel safer. But fate wasn’t that kind with you tonight.

  
Thus, trying to keep your head held high and your heartbeat at bay, you inhale each breath deeply and carefully, trying to keep your cool no matter what. Picking up what was left of your courage, you look at you reflexion in the mirror. You were wearing a short black [dress](http://nafdress.com/assests/images/plus-size-autumn-2014-women-casual-sexy-cute-long-sleeve-backless-back-cutout-lace-pleated-dressjpg-4773116.jpg) with long sleeves that reached up until your wrists in a lace pattern that covered the neckline as well in beautiful patterns and was cut out in the back. It reached a bit further above your knees and formed a beautiful A-line that pointed out your figure. You had matched it with some stunning white gold [earrings](http://richmedia.channeladvisor.com/ImageDelivery/imageService?profileId=12026540&imageId=1063156-847__1&recipeName=350) adorned with diamonds and freshwater pearls that Aro delivered to you this morning and since you found them so pretty, you had braided your hair and pulled them up in a [bun](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRdugP8RieaV4SFn03rMvxaQ7dSkrVyTN7jyHsuXJ4zDzyC6CMd) in order to make the earrings shine more. The outfit was completed by a single, black, All-Star Converse [shoe](http://yes-sneakers.weebly.com/uploads/2/7/5/6/27561257/s433744308917342698_p2_i1_w1000.jpeg) which was the only thing you could wear since your leg was still in the cast. Truth be told though, you felt more comfortable with this particular shoe than with anything else.

  
Making sure everything was perfect you turn on your heel in order to face Felix and Alec.

  
‘Shall we go then?’ you say and as the two of them stood up, Alec offered you his elbow courtly and you passed your hand through it, allowing the boy to lead you out of your room and into the brightly lit corridors.

  
No matter how many times you walked these walls when they were properly decorated and taken care of, you would never seize to feel amazed by them. Everything was as elegant as any luxurious castle would ever be, making everything else pale in comparison. This time, the Volturi had gone all out with decorating their castle and showing off what they had managed to gain in all those centuries of eternal life. Huge upholsteries and banners with the golden Volturi crest were hanging from the walls, filling the place with warmth and authoritative tone, matching with the luxurious carpets spread across each and every one of the grand hallways, everywhere around the castle. Large marble pots with various plants were spread here and there on the hallways and if you happened not to see a marble pot, a beautiful statue of one of the Volturi Masters would take its place or even a statue of Greek and Roman gods from ancient times. Luxurious chestnut tables were lying here and there, decorated with golden vases or ornaments and up until the eye could see, vampire servants were running all over the place, carrying trays with crystal decanters filled with a burgundy colored liquid which you highly doubted was wine.

  
And when you managed to look past these things, your attention was drawn toward the insanely beautiful guests.

  
Each and every single one of them, from the very young –many years younger than you- to the very old, all of the vampires surrounding you were the least stunningly beautiful, appearing like angels from a faraway Heaven of utter perfection. They were all so pale and beautiful and the red color of their eyes for the first time made you realize it was actually majestic and stunning to look at, drawing you like a dark abyss does to any wandering traveler, trying to lure him in and destroy him. All of them turned and looked at you and your companions as you passed by, some looking at you with clear disgust and some with pure curiosity crossing their characteristics. It wasn’t every day that a mere human walked freely among them, especially guarded by some of the most powerful vampire Guards. It made you a bit uncomfortable though and you tightened your grasp around Alec’s hand.

  
Still, even when you entered the vast dance room, the feeling of being constantly watched never leaved your back, making a wild shiver run down your spine and your heart to pound loudly against your chest.

  
‘Things are pretty smooth so far huh?’ you say out loud to Alec, your eyes looking all around you in slight fear; you were in a disadvantage in here and that did nothing to calm you down and keep you out of interest.

  
‘Just remain calm _____. We won’t let anything happen to you.’ Alec reassured you as you watched a man with extremely white hair and sharp features looking at you as if you were the greatest piece of candy he had ever seen in his life.

  
‘I hope you stay true to that statement.’ You mumble, as a waiter navigated himself straight towards you and offered you a glass of champagne. Taking it in your hands, you drink from it straight away.

  
‘No one will touch you in front of Aro. He has warned them all; also, this is why you are not in a restrainer. To be able to defend yourself if need be squirt.’ Felix laughs and lands a heavy hand on your back, making you take an involuntary step forward due to the unwilling force he placed.

  
Choking down an exclamation of pain, you turn your eyes towards Vamp-Everest, withdrawing your hand from Alec’s grasp ‘What makes you so sure I can beat them though? I am a human after all.’

  
Felix hums merrily in response, his eyebrows raised in a rather excited and happy expression ‘You took me head on ____; I think you can deal with many of them quite easily. After all, we have trained you well.’

  
At his words, a huge satisfied grin graces your face as you bring the glass on your lips and gaze over the sea of vampires looking at you as if you were food. He was right. Even before you were properly trained, you had managed to take none other than Felix himself head on and actually keep him away for a bit if Demetri hadn’t interfered. This sole fact made your heart soar with confidence that you could protect yourself even in this weakened state; you had killed many vampires and battled even more, so a few of Aro’s guests would not scare the living hell out of you.

  
Right then, Alec excuses himself for a little bit and you down your champagne in one go as you watch him navigate through the crowd and towards a pretty pissed off Jane. Maybe the evil twin wasn’t so happy Alec hanged out with you. Still, the only thing you do is try to locate the waiter that served you and with your confidence boost, you start walking through the crowd in order to get a refill.

  
Trying to ignore the hungry and dangerous stares you were feeling burning your skin away and penetrating you deep down to your very soul, you quicken your steps the more the seconds pass, trying to get to the man as quickly as possible. Maybe you weren’t as confident as you thought you were at first and the moment you bump into a tall man with unusually pale olive skin, with him growling at you lowly as you weakly mumble an almost inaudible ‘sorry’, you feel the remaining confidence flow out from you and now you need to get to the waiter as he seemed to be your only anchor to salvation. Damn your pride and your false hope! You needed to get away from them and back to Felix. What in the absolute hell came into you and you didn’t take him along with you?! you curse yourself heavily. But the more the sea of people close around you, the more suffocating the air becomes and you desperately struggle to breathe as eyes watch your every move and lips let mocking laughs fall upon you. It was maddening; you would not make it.

  
With your impending panic attack managing to block out your senses completely, it takes you a few seconds to realize the hand that wraps carefully around your petite waist was not belonging to some murderous foe who wanted to take advantage of your weakened state.

  
No, the moment you see Alec’s dark figure pulling you close to him in a protective way and leading you steadily out of the crowd, you immediately felt the heaviness in your chest being lifted magically.

‘Seemed to me like you were having a tough time there ____.’ Alec beamed you a kind smile ‘So I thought to help you out a bit.’

Practically gluing yourself on him, your trembling hands wrap around his cold own for support as you nod weakly ‘Large vampire gatherings are not exactly my cup of tea.’

‘Tell me about it.’ Alec agreed ‘If you add everyone’s age in here, you can calculate the distance that separates us from the center of the universe.’

You laughed, the sound reaching the vampire’s ears and making him smile widely ‘There you are.’ He said and kissed your head playfully, strangely in the very same way Jacob used to back when you were at La Push.

By merely being near Alec was enough to bring your good mood back and when you saw Felix passing through the crowd to get to you with a smirk plastered on his face, you knew this night was bound to get even better.

‘What did Jane want? If you don’t mind me asking though, Alec.’ You smiled at the teen, watching for the first time a vampire sigh in complete fatigue before turning to look over the sea of heads towards where his twin sister must have been.

Alec’s eyes filled with sorrow ‘Jane doesn’t really like you unfortunately _____. So she told me to keep the hell away from you.’

‘And you said squirt?’ Felix laughed, drinking from his cup of blood and asking the question faster than you this time.

Alec smiled defiantly ‘Told her that for whatever complains she has, she can go solve them with Master Aro.’

You almost choked on the new champagne glass you fished out of a passing tray ‘Is that your way of saying ‘screw you’ Alec?’

‘I guess it is.’ He said, half surprised with himself and half terrified. Well, even Jane’s own brother was terrified of her.

Still, in his words the three of you burst out laughing and you can’t help but feel happy for the rebellious teenager right beside you; in a strange way, he had just rebelled against his own strict sister and started allowing his own character, one that was less murderous and emotionless, to show. You were proud of him, going so far as to give him a rewarding kiss on the cheek while you commented on how you spoiled him already. Alec beamed brightly when even Felix gave him a congratulating pat in the back. It seemed that maybe he was too occupied with what Jane wanted in the past, so discovering now what he really wanted, made him happier. And this was a reason to celebrate of course. The three of you raise your glasses and toast to freedom before downing everything in one go; you felt the cold liquid going down your neck in warm waves of sweetness, reaching your tummy and warming it up in a fuzzy and relaxing way. You had already forgotten what made you worry before and focused on hearing the stories Felix had, all at the same time laughing happily along with them.

‘Tell me ____, which movie are we going to watch tomorrow?’ Alec asks you out of the blue at some point.

‘You’ll show him a real movie cupcake?’ Felix jokes, but his curiosity was evident across his face.

In response, you smile ‘Well, since Alec hasn’t seen any movies at all, I’ve took it upon myself to show him what gems and other human stuff are out there.’ You explain before turning to Alec ‘And tomorrow, we are going to see one of my favorites! It’s called Spirited Away by studio Gibli. It’s about a girl who goes to a strange land and tries to find her way out of there, all at the same time being helped out by friends or stalled by enemies. I think you’ll love it.’

‘Sounds rather interesting.’ Alec agrees but his attention was once again drawn by Jane, who was watching him from afar. It was rather obvious she wanted to talk with him.

Alec obliged to his sister wordless request and excused himself and not long afterwards, you felt the need to get a bit of fresh air as well. Felix was a bit occupied with talking to some friends of his from his homeland so taking the chance presented, you slip out of the room and start walking towards your sanctuary. Thankfully, the dance room was located rather close by the patio so with just a few minutes of walking, you find yourself surrounded by the lascivious flora of the room. Walking towards the small pond you let out a tired sigh before you sit clumsily down, enjoying the silence and peace of mind the room had to offer, away from all the chatter and noise the dance room pestered you with.

Under the strong, silver moonlight, the whole place resemblances some dream-like land of pure wonder and beauty with the silver orb submerging the whole place up in colors of silver and dark blue, reflecting on the serene surface of the water. Deep shadows were prevailing everywhere you looked, but this time around they did not appear the least threatening. On the contrary, they reminded you of the moonlit winter nights back at La Push and sincerely saying, you found no difference between the two places right at that moment. Everything was heavenly like and just as beautiful so it was rather hard to choose which one of them you preferred. If Jacob and Embry were here, they would smack your head and tell you there is no place like home; but if Demetri and Felix looked at you, they would say that all places had a certain beauty within them. The struggle would be in choosing.

At this thought, you sigh deeply. How did your life come to this? All those fairytales and folklore that was coming to life right in front of your eyes seemed rather funny to witness; not because it was in any way comical, but rather unbelievable. Father always told you there are strange wonders all around us and it takes a truly innocent and kind heart and spirit in order to see them clearly, but you always doubted you were either of the two. Still, reality was there to slap you across the face and tell you not everything was always what it seemed. Darkness and light roam everywhere around us, engulfing and affecting our lives in ways we would have never guessed so why shouldn’t creatures like you and the vampires surrounding exist? I mean, you always knew you were not like other people but to go as far as to live and make…friends…with said creatures would be out of your comprehension in the past. Yet here you were, roaming around them and actually enjoying it. Because you could lie to them, but you couldn’t lie to yourself.

The silence was sharply brought to an end by a piercing wolf-whistle reverberating like a gunshot in your ears.

With your heart missing a beat, you abruptly turn to look behind you in order to locate where the sound came from, but your eyes meet with nothing but more plants and silence. It alarms you to no ends, making your heart speed up its pace. Something was wrong in here. When you turn in front once again though, you realize you were no longer alone. Two men were standing right in front of you, both bathed in the silver light and appearing out of literally nowhere, taking you aback. The scream that was about to leave your lips is harshly pushed back as you throw both of them a glare that could even scare the devil, crossing your hands defiantly over your chest, trying to appear threatening when in reality you had just been scared sh!tless.

Looking up to the two men, you have the chance to take in their appearances.

Both of them were stunningly beautiful in an unnatural and scary way; they weren’t like Demetri or Alec, who had something calmly alluring on their posture. In contrast, the men standing right in front of you right now were the least horrifyingly beautiful, appearing as if they were some Roman gods that escaped from an alternative reality which looked like a frozen hell. One of them, the [youngest](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/8f/c5/67/8fc567492b575d960dbc17f51373c4be.jpg) in appearance, was probably as tall as Demetri; he was rather lean for a man and had such extremely white skin, it was unnatural even for a vampire. He had short, messy pitch black hair that was pulled up in casual disarray, while his face still withheld traces of childish roundness around his eyes and jaw. He was dressed in rather dark clothes which highlighted his burgundy eyes and made them shine under the strong moonlight. He was offering you a cocky grin, much to the other one’s annoyance.

On the contrary, but similar in a baffling way, the [older](https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQzGhkB_pCfIAPI7EgQBKIs9CF1gZdK-0QZwUtEvuv-yEflaU-MWw) vampire was as pristine as he was aristocratic. Standing at the proud height of 6’4’ he was dressed in an all-black tuxedo from an era far past your own. His hair reached all the way down to his waist, falling in a purely white waterfall that matched his skin color and highlighted his bright red eyes. His face had a rough jaw line and high cheekbones; his broad shoulders and upright posture made you gulp in fear. He appeared as dangerous as a machine gun ready to shoot down a tank- in a delicate way as though. In complete contrast with his companion, he was looking at you as if something that smelled really bad was constantly stuck under his nose; like he was looking at a dying, dirty dog covered in mud on the side of the road.

When he spoke, his voice was silky and faint, barely reaching your ears ‘Look what the Masters dragged in; I thought Aro had a better taste in companions than _that._’ He threw at you, shrinking his nose in disgust.

‘Don’t be so nice vampire, I might believe you.’ you throw icily at him, making his younger companion laugh loudly before leaning towards you.

‘What a mouthwatering little candy are you!’ he purred, making you sick ‘How about I get a taste?’

‘How about I castrate you and feed you your b@lls?’ you spat at his face ‘How about that?’

‘You insolent, human trash! How dare you talk back like that?’ the white-haired man exclaimed, his eyes flashing with anger.

You look at him dead in the eye ‘With the same dare you go around scaring little children with your ugly face.’ You spit out in pure irony ‘This awful encounter is over.’ You say and attempt to stand up, only for the younger one to push you back by your shoulder, almost making you lose your balance.

Your butt lands on the marble banister with power, making your lips unwillingly gasp, letting out an exclamation of pain. Managing to balance yourself at the last minute, you shot your head up only to see the younger one smiling widely and licking his lips provocatively at you, in a way that made you want to vomit.

‘How can they let such delicious meal walk around like that?’ he wondered out loud, making you smile back slyly.

‘I don’t need them to beat you up; I can do it myself.’

And with that single sentence of pure defiance, you shoot your hand forward, hitting the vampire straight in the center of his chest. In a flash, you feel your fingers twitch with power as the transparent air wave hits him straight in the chest; the man is taken completely by surprise as he is catapulted far away from you to crash against the wall loudly, his body falling like a rucksack of potatoes down to the ground. It wasn’t as delicate or fluent as any other vampire’s fall would be, on the contrary, it was just like that: like a rucksack of potatoes. In the sight of him, a joyous laugh leaves your lips but you were too fast to celebrate.

Everything around you blurs as an iron grip wraps around your delicate neck and you find yourself no longer sitting down on the marble banister, but instead you are being raised in the air from the neck by the white-haired vampire, who tightens his grip around your fragile neck dangerously much as he lets out a bloodcurdling growl, like a tiger ready to attack, baring his fangs so you can see them clearly. Instinctively, your hands fly to your neck out of reflex as you try desperately to loosen the grip and you scream out with whatever was left of your breath for Felix, as you see the black-haired man get back on his feet with his eyes gleaming bright red with a dangerous hue. It was right then that your instincts kicked in violently and you start tossing and squirming around like a mad-woman, trying to hit him in whatever way you could as well as breathe in the all-too-necessary air.

And then, his grip around your neck was no more.

All you could feel and hear, was the grip around your neck loosen at the very same moment an animalistic and far too familiar growl reached your ears, before your body started falling towards the ground, obeying the laws of gravity fully and being just as unable to stop the fall. Your brain sends a message to your lungs to inhale a sharp breath and for your eyes to pop open in surprise as you see the ground coming closer and closer…before you are scooped up gracefully by two huge hands.

Felix’s face was a mask of pure rage and vengeance as he held you in his arms carefully, with the other two vampires flown back, as far away from you as they could get. Honestly speaking, even if you were not Felix’s enemy at the time, the rage burning inside of him was far than simply enough to make you pale in total fear and avert your eyes towards the vampires that dared to attack you. Only for your eyes to meet with a silver mist having wrapped up the younger vampire who stared blankly at the void and at the other side of the mist, Alec was standing, beyond himself with rage, with his eyes having turned coal black and his teeth bared threatenly. It was the angriest expression you had ever seen him pull in all the days you knew him and it reminded you not of the kind and soft-hearted vampire you were used to.

Before you had the chance to react though, you see the white haired vampire pick himself up from the floor and then disappear. It didn’t take you much to realize he was attacking once again; Felix growls back and knowing he had no chance of fighting him back and holding you at the same time, he throws you to the side and charges.

Everything around you seems like it was happening in slow motion.

The cold and merciless ground was coming fast towards you and there was not a single trace of your power left within your body to help you stop the fall, so you remain terrified and unable to do a single thing.

Your lungs inhale a sharp breath.

Your eyes pop open with surprise.

Only to feel two sturdy hands grab you hard by your waist and legs and you are pulled gracefully against a sturdy chest in bridal style, with the hands snaking around you in a protective steely hug.

‘I’m always here to catch you before you fall.’ A mesmerizing, alluring voice speaks in your ear and sends a wild shiver down your spine as the rich aroma of lilac, citronella and rain reaches your nose.

Your brain flashes with realization.

Demetri.

The man was looking down at you with a big, warm and above all sly smile and for the first time in your life, you realize how much you had missed him while he was gone. He seemed even more handsome after all the days you had to see him, with his luxuriously red eyes shining brightly and betraying he had recently fed. His lips half opened but his comment never reached your ears since you were so drawn to his flawless appearance and lips, you actually caught yourself wanting to taste them right here, right now. Alas, you were too prideful to actually do such thing or admit you had missed him, so shaking the thoughts away from your mind, you smile back.  


‘My knight in shiny armor.’ You mock him lightly ‘Took you long enough.’

Demetri didn’t seem fazed at all by your comment ‘Missed me that much?’ he grinned and kissed the side of your head, throwing your heartbeat to extreme beats and freezing you like a deer in head lights.

Unable to offer him any response whatsoever, you avert your gaze towards the others, only to hear Demetri chuckle deeply and the two vampires who attacked you being escorted away by three Volturi guards. Felix still stood right in front of the two of you, glaring at the vampires as if his stare alone could set them ablaze, while Alec had moved closer to you and appeared as if he was about to cry. It didn’t help when you spoke your comment before you actually thought about it.

‘This is how you were going to protect me?’ your voice rings in their ears like a gunshot as Demetri let you stand back at your feet again, with you being vaguely aware of him resting his hand on the small of your back.

Felix growled loudly ‘I should have killed them…’

‘We are so sorry ______.’ Alec said, turning to face you with his coal black eyes, looking so devastated, you actually felt ashamed for your words.

Without spending a single thought about it, you cover the distance separating you and throw your hands over his neck, hugging the vampire teen with everything you had. The whole room stood still in front of your actions and you could clearly feel a gaze burning the back of your head but you choose to ignore it the moment Alec hugs you back with extreme caution, his chest rising and falling abruptly; like he was crying but no tears ever came out.

‘It was definitely not your fault Alec.’ You try to soothe him, inhaling the aroma his clothes gave off, reaching your nose as the aroma of cinnamon and apples ‘I shouldn’t have gone out without telling you guys.’

Alec inhales sharply ‘I would hate it if anything happened to you ____.’ He admits.

Smiling kindly, you release him from your hug and rest your hands on his shoulders as you catch his gaze with your eyes and smile as brightly as you can to make him relax ‘If I die, I can haunt you so I can keep you some company. What do you say?’

The teen gives out a small laugh ‘Sounds awesome.’

‘Come on kid, let’s leave those two lovebirds alone for a bit. I can treat you to some blood; what do you say?’ Felix beckons to Alec and the teen nods and follows him, the two of them leaving the room to join the others in the dancing room.  


Leaving you and Demetri alone.

The moment the two of you are left alone, a wild shiver goes down your spine and your heart decides to speed up its pace, beating hard against your chest and alerting the vampire who haunted your dreams about the distress he was putting you in. Not that both of you needed that necessarily to know that the very air around you had changed. Electricity filled the atmosphere chokingly much and falling on your skin like the sweet humidity of the morning air; upon contact, it send you a wild chill that made the hair in the back of your neck stand up. A strange knot formed in your stomach and your mind went in a complete whirlwind as thoughts about how soft Demetri’s lips were and how much you would like to taste them filled your mind. You were also sure that the huge blush spreading across your face was evident even to the vampires on the other room, let alone Demetri.

Not being naïve enough to believe Demetri wasn’t feeling the very same tension, you tried to keep your cool as he walked towards you, a huge smile across his face.

‘So you did miss me.’ He announced as a matter-of-factly. His cockiness made you want to slap the grin off his face.

‘Yeah, I missed your lame attempts in flirtation.’ You roll your eyes.

Only to almost yelp when you feel his hands wrap around your waist and his breath falling on your ear, making the whole world blur around you.

‘You are a terrible liar _____.’ He purred.

‘And you are unbelievable! First you kiss me like there is no tomorrow and then you disappear for almost five days.’ You try to push his hands away angrily, but the man has trapped you in an iron grip.

‘How about’ he says and cupping your chin with his thumb and pointer turns you so he can look deep into your (e/c) orbs ‘I take you somewhere nice to make it up to you? It’s a shame to let that beautiful full moon go to waste.’

You tried to stay mad; you sincerely and utterly tried your absolute best to stay mad at him, but staring at those shining and calm red eyes and the confident smirk that got on your nerves didn’t allow you to keep your cool for too long. In the end, you just sigh deeply and return the steady gaze Demetri was giving you with your surrendered own.

‘Are you kidnapping me?’ you joke.

‘I would say that if you weren’t mine from the start.’ He comments cockily and before you have a solid chance on retaliating with something more than simply a roll of your eyes, the man has already picked you up and walked over to the nearest window.

Opening it, you spare no glace to anything but him as he jumps off, with you hiding your face in the cavity of his neck. The all too familiar feeling of air coursing through everything around you with immense speed envelopes you as Demetri runs with everything he had, walking fast enough through the now empty streets that the normal human eye would catch no glimpse of your running form. Suddenly, you catch yourself wondering how the world looked like when a vampire was running. You surely wanted to avert your gaze and look around you, but with your dull senses the only thing you would see is a wall of unidentified things all merged together.

So instead of focusing on your vision, you try to _hear. _Sounds of life reach your ears the moment you focus your weary head to this single task; the sound of a couple talking, Demetri’s steps across the paved streets, the howling of the wind coursing through the vast valleys, the crackling of a nearby fire and soon enough, the sounds of the forest. Demetri must have entered the forest by now, his feet crunching the leaves and plants under them as he ran through them with no problem at all. He could see everything and you could hear everything; the small animals running for cover as you passed and disturbed their peace, the howling of a dog in the distance as well as the cuckooing of an owl. The forest surrounding you was coming alive with the moonlit night and the small animals made their way to find their prey. This only made you wander where Demetri was taking you.

So when you heard the sound of the wind gracefully touching the surface of a serene lake, raffling with her waters, you knew that where he was taking you, you would have a grand view. You would love it, you were sure.

Alas, a cracking sound alerted you that you were not alone.

If Demetri heard of the man walking up behind you, you would never know. What you would know, was that both of you barely had time to react as a huge concrete wall came smashing onto you with sheer power.

A piercing scream leaves your lips, as you are ejected from Demetri’s hands on a nearby tree, falling hard onto it with your back producing a penetrating cracking sound before you fall on the ground heavily, your lungs knocking out what was left of your breath and killing you with an extremely burning sensation. With your brain taken aback for a moment, everything around you blurs within a sea of tears that bubble in your eyes due to the pain. You can clearly hear the sound of a fight erupting hellishly strong a few mere meters away from you, with words you were unable to discern and growls that made your blood run cold, but for that single second, you were unable to see what was going on. All you saw was a pair of feet standing in front of you and from the deranged growls reverberating into the dead of the night, you knew it was Demetri defending you against the attacker and by the few looks of it, he was losing ground.

You had to help him!

You had to get up!

NOW!

Blinking, your vision clears up and you meet with a terrifying spectacle.

The younger vampire who had attacked you earlier must have seen you leaving with Demetri and followed you all the way here and by the looks of it attacked you out of the blue. Right now though, he was standing tall a few feet away from you, teeth bared and eyes completely drowned by bloodlust. His hand was raised on the side and you let out a terrified scream when you see Demetri at the other end of the vampire’s hand, trying to keep him from snatching his neck and baring his teeth to him as well. It was the very second time you saw Demetri having difficulty with an opponent, but truthfully, you didn’t just stand there to watch.

Adrenaline immediately shot through your veins, poisoning you and making your heart pound loudly out of pure rage inside your chest; you clenched your jaw tightly in determination and allowed your anger to infiltrate your mind. Like pure, hot and menacing lava, it coursed through your every fiber of existence as you picked yourself up, fueling you to no end and making your vision turn utterly red when you see the vampire turn his victorious gaze towards you thinking he had actually won. Right now, you didn’t need any kind of weapon to tear him in half; you could do it with your bare hands.

‘NO ONE TOUCHES HIM YOU DOUCH#BAG!’ your hand shots out to grab the air in a tight grip before you daringly scream ‘HE IS MINE!’

All it took was a simple wave of your hand.

A simple twist of your wrist that turned your hand towards you.

The vampire broke into a billion little pieces. Falling on the ground in a breathtaking pattern of broken marble as you killed him on the spot, without the need to burn him afterwards in case he would come back. Releasing Demetri who gracefully falls on his two feet; throwing a hand over his neck in surprise where the vampire had grabbed him, he breathlessly watches the remains before his gaze turns to you and he graces you with a huge cocky grin.

‘You are so hot when you are angry.’ He says simply, the cocky grin making you turn a bright shade of red as you crossed your hands over your chest and pretended to be mad at him.

‘No one messes with you other than me.’ You declared, earning a chuckle from Demetri’s side.

Before you knew it though, the man was standing right behind you in a mere flash, taking your hand gently and snaking his other one around your waist, pulling you tightly against his sturdy chest. Your back collided with him and your heartbeat skyrocketed as you thanked whatever God was up there for the blessing of darkness, which concealed your furious blush adorning your cheeks; you were so sure it was emitting its own heat, you didn’t even have to touch your cheeks to make sure. The close proximity with Demetri’s body freezes your whole body up like deer in headlights, as your mind goes completely numb and your knees feel weak right under you. Nevertheless you do attempt one last time to break free from his grasp, only to be pulled even tighter against him.

‘Oh no’ he purred deeply in your ear, his voice gruff and deep, sending a shiver down your stomach ‘Tonight you will not run away from me.’

Everything was so strange to you. The sound of his voice as he whispered those words carefully and lowly, emphasizing each and every one of them in a strange way that shook you to the ground, the feeling of his cold breath falling on your skin like the morning humidity, his divine smell of lilac and rain was intoxicating; all those little things combined with his mere presence around you were enough to throw your mind into a whirlwind. The moment he speaks those words you grow cold, remaining calmly on your spot and actually feeling yourself leaning softly towards him, inhaling his drug-like aroma greedily, allowing it to blur your mind. You didn’t quite know why you were doing what you were doing, why he had such a strong hold around you, playing you like a puppet. All you knew was the warm feelings blooming inside your heart in a mere touch of his, like an everlasting fire that consumed everything in its insatiable path. You were afraid of that; you were afraid of the strange feelings it created within you, feelings resonating in various parts of your body other than your heart and you didn’t quite know what to do. You wanted to push them away and at the same moment, you didn’t. What was he doing to you?

Demetri never gives you the time to think things through, as the man lets go of your waist, gently continuing to hold your hand inside his cold and sturdy own, walking beside you with a grin and beckoning you to follow him towards a spot where the tree line subsided.

‘We have just a few more steps to take. Do you think you can do it?’ he asks worriedly, his gaze falling on your cast.

Raising your head high and pushing back the haziness of your confused thoughts, you stare proudly towards him ‘Of course I can. Who do you think I am?’ you say stubbornly.

Demetri chuckles; a sound that rings into the night as it came out deep and hearty, betraying the true amusement the man felt. It surely was one rare moment right there, because you had never seen Demetri laugh so freely; at least not around you. As his beautiful characteristics were pulled by the laughter though, you were no longer staring at an ancient vampire but at a young man barely twenty four years of age; he was stunning. In all of his unnatural and breathtaking beauty, he was even more stunning when he laughed. If more was even possible. Suddenly, you realized you would do everything to see it again. You try to shake away that thought.

Allowing him to lead you, you walk just a few more meters into the forest, ignoring the remains of the vampire completely and walking towards the clearing right ahead of you, where you could easily hear the sound of the wind coursing above a watery surface. Alas, nothing had ever prepared you for the spectacle lying right in front of your very own (e/c) orbs when you passed through the rest of the trees and stepped a single foot on the shore of a lake.

Until where the eyes could see, the silvery olive trees spread all around in a inescapable labyrinth, their leaves and ancient trucks giving the huge clearing a mythical hue, as if the gods of Olympus were about to appear behind them and dance along to their divine music under the strong moonlight. It was the very same moonlight that cascaded the clear starry sky to reflect both on the olive trees and the calm lake existing right in the middle of the clearing, its waters steely and completely transparent, allowing the moonlight to reach down to the very bottom of it, illuminating everything; every now and then you could clearly see a fish or two pass nonchalantly among the flora of the lake bottom. White soil surrounded the lake right before your eyes and a few cicadas sang their tunes on the nearby bushes.

The moment Demetri allows you to enter the huge clearing, your eyes open wide with wonder and you can’t stop yourself from looking all around you, obviously mesmerized. It was so beautiful here; with the lake right in the middle and the silver forest surrounding it, you felt as if you were in a dream. Unwillingly, you avert your eyes in order to locate your vampire companion, only to find him sitting down.

Demetri had sat down on the ground, having taken his coat off and spread it right beside him for you to sit. His calm red eyes followed your every move as you walked over to him and without a single moment’s hesitation you sit beside him, admiring your surroundings.

‘I take it that you like it here?’ you hear him ask, before the sound of crystal glasses hitting draws your attention and turning, you see him pouring wine in two glasses.

‘I see you came prepared.’ You tease him, taking the glass he offered you.

Demetri leans back a bit and all too closely to you. you noticed the subtle move, but did nothing to oppose it.

‘Wine seems to be the only way to calm you down, so I thought it was worth a shot.’ He admits slyly, turning to gaze into your eyes in order to read your expression.

In response, you arc your eyebrow ‘You just told me I look hot when I’m mad.’

He shrugs, his eyes shining under the moonlight ‘I find you hot all the time, especially when you are mad. But you are easy to tease when you are relaxed.’

‘So you brought me here to tease me?’ you laugh, drinking a bit from the sweet wine.

‘No’ he admits ‘I brought you here on a date.’

There it was! The single sentence, able to make you self conscious in a split second. Did the man have a special talent into making you feel uncomfortable or what? Because as he admitted it, suddenly you regretted pulling your hair up when you knew, it suited you better when they were down. And what on earth came over you when you decided to wear the All-Star instead of the high-heel. And why hadn’t the hideous cast-STOP! Calm down _____, no need to freak out right now, you look perfect.

‘Felix should have warned me about this. The traitor!’ you comment.  
Demetri’s hand comes to rest on your other side, making the handsome man lean towards you even more ‘Felix wouldn’t say anything since I warned him about it.’ he comments ‘But I have to admit, Alec looked quite _friendly _with you. More than usual.’

‘Really?’ you reply, trying to pass as indifferent, yet you knew his watchful eyes were nailed on you, observing your every move.

‘Care to explain your sudden fondness?’

With the way he uttered these words, it sounded more of an order than a request. Suddenly, you felt some kind of wild joy poisoning your heart and you cannot fight back the victorious smile spreading all over your face. It did nothing to pacify Demetri’s suspicions but you decided it was time for you to play a little bit.

‘Are you jealous Demetri?’ you ask him straight into his face, reading his every twitch to catch a lie before he speaks it.

Demetri’s posture remains controlled and rather relaxed, just as the moment you first came here, but for your trained eyes you never fail to see the flash of anger passing through his ruby red eyes.

He scoffs ‘I’m not jealous of a mere kid _____.’

The moment your brain analyzed his words –which were a true downright lie- you can’t hold yourself back as a loud wave of laughter erupts from your chest. It was so loud, so full and so joyous that it actually splits the silence of the night, filling the air and disturbing the creatures. But you can’t stop. You laugh and laugh and laugh your heart out, spilling the wine all over the place as you bend over to hug your stomach. The mere thought of the high-and-mighty-Casanova Demetri actually –_actually_\- being jealous of innocent-kid Alec made you almost pass out from laughter. Still, what you haven’t noticed was that the more you laughed, the darker Demetri’s eyes became. He wasn’t amused like you were; he wasn’t amused at all.

As your laughter finally quiets down and you are left to gaze at him, trying to catch your breath, you can’t help but realize brooding and obviously pissed off Demetri was hotter than you ever truly understood. Bathed in the silver light, the thousand year old vampire was simply breathtaking. His white skin appeared to merge with the silver moonlight and actually shine on its own, highlighting his full, ruby red orbs and making his characteristics appear sharper and manlier. With a weary mind, you realized you were standing right beside an actual angel of darkness, one that was drawing you in like a butterfly to a flame; cursed to die in the very end, she can’t stop herself from actually touching the flame. Just like you did.

Laughing childishly, you lean over out of the blue and give him a small kiss on the lips, taking him utterly by surprise.

Demetri’s expression falls in a mask of deceiving surprise as his gaze darkens ‘Can you repeat that? I didn’t quite catch it.’

That’s it.

No more games.

Fully turning your body towards Demetri, a sudden wave of determination floods your heart and your mind, so without stopping to think, you rest your warm hands on his cheeks, pulling him abruptly towards you and making your lips meet. The vampire is taken aback for a single second but is quick to recover, grabbing a firm hold of your waist and licking your lower lip, begging you for entrance. Your lips half open immediately, allowing his cold tongue enter your mouth and entwine with your own in a hungry game for dominance against one another. Unwillingly, a deep sigh escapes your lips as your thoughts go out like candles in the strong wind; your hands travel to his ever-so-soft locks with your fingers tangling among them, taking in his soft touch. Demetri lets out a low, animalistic growl as his hands travel to your hips, grabbing you as softly as they could and raising you just enough for him to reach out to you better.

Alas, you were not comfortable either, so with one daring move, you mount the man, passing your right leg to his other side and sitting on him; the new position allowed you to have a better access to his head and sturdy back, with your right hand grabbing a hold of his head and sturdy back, with your right hand grabbing a hold of his shirt. Another growl erupted from Demetri as his hands traveled from your hips to your butt and rested there, as both of you deepen the kiss even more, with him pulling you somewhat harder against him, his movements losing their usual self control.

Shivers go up and down your spine as his sweet taste fills your mind in a numbing mist. An explosion erupts from your heart and you will never again be the same. Because as he touches you, his cold nimble hands melting away your skin, you feel yourself completely surrendering to your lust. Your heartbeat becomes one continuous hum and a knot forms in your lower bell as you move yourself to enclose the man more in your embrace, feeling yourself rub against him. Never failing to feel his excitement growing with the passing seconds against you, you ignore your burning lungs as you only want more at this point.

But as you lean your body downwards one more time, strong hands grab a hold of you, breaking the kiss out of the blue and picking you up in the air. Having no clue as to what the absolute hell was going on, you see Demetri gently placing you on your previous spot, before standing up.

‘Don’t start something you won’t finish _____.’ He tries to joke, but his voice was too gruff to assist him.


	29. Chapter 26 Movie Night

_‘I, I can't get these memories out of my mind and some kind of madness has started to evolve. And I, I tried so hard to let you go, but some kind of madness is swallowing me whole, yeah…!’_

Loud music was pouring out of your room, sounding for quite a few meters away from it, even if the one happening to pass even remotely close to it was no vampire with superhuman hearing. The sound of the vocalist’s voice pounded loudly, overshadowing anything else that could be heard. If anyone was annoyed, he or she surely did nothing to interrupt the music, simply trying to ignore it the best they could.

_ ‘…I have finally seen the light, and I have finally realized…What you mean…Ooh oh oh..!’_

Out of the side door that leads to the main bed room, came your dancing figure. Hands were thrown in the air, hips were moving to the sounds and lips were singing the lyrics out loud, feeling them resonating with your heart as you were enveloped in the moment, wearing nothing but your short pajamas and dancing away your good mood. Everything was perfect; you had woken up with a huge smile on your face, your broken leg was not hurting you anymore and you had just made out with Demetri the previous night. Yes, he had stopped you at the last point, but!, you are not going to let that little thing ruin your mood.

_ ‘And now I need to know is this real love, or is it just madness keeping us afloat? And when I look back at all the crazy fights we had, like some kind of madness was taking control, yeah… And now I have finally seen the light and I have finally realized, what you need…’_

It was reality: you had willingly kissed Demetri. Hellz yeah girl! Finally! Finally! No more games –for this particular second that you are alone-, no more confusion that brought you headaches. You had finally seized your life and were determined to place it back in order with whatever was left of her. Sure, you were unable to return back home, but right now, you had to work with whatever was given to you. And the first thing you were going to do is torture the man with the very same way he did to you: lure him in and push him away. He did it to you just yesterday, leaving you to hang out cold, but not anymore. Because you had a plan for him once again. This time though, it was going to work, you were sure about it.

‘_And now I need to know is this real love, or is it just madness keeping us afloat? And when I look back at all the crazy fights we had, like some kind of madness was taking control, yeah and now I have finally seen the light, and I have finally realized…what you need!’_

‘No matter how much I enjoy the spectacle’ a voice suddenly comes from right behind you ‘I have to interrupt.’

It was so unexpected for the voice to pierce through the music and you were so engulfed inside your own personal bubble that the moment you hear it, your heart misses a beat and you turn around terrified to see who was the friend or the foe you had to deal with now. The moment you do though, your eyes fall on the smiling slyly figure of none other than the Volturi Tracker himself, who was eyeing you with his leisure up and down your revealing attire, cocking his eyebrow approvingly. In his sight, your shoulders relax and you fold your hands over your chest, a dark glow flashing in your eyes and a grin to match it spreading over your face.

‘Look what the cat dragged in. Enjoying the spectacle Voltur-doggie?’ you say, as the last words of the song sound all over the room

_~Come to me, just in a dream; come on and rescue me. Yes I know, I can't be wrong and baby, you're too headstrong. Our love is……Madness.~_

Waving your hand nonchalantly, you feel an airwave press the stop button and the music stops as you and Demetri are left to stare at each other.

‘You know I cannot say no to a beautiful woman.’ He confesses, a smug smile plastered on his lips and making you want to slap him across the face to wipe it off.

‘Too bad you can see but not touch.’ You throw at him as evenly as you could turning your back to him and walking towards your bed room. It was time to change into comfortable clothes and for the time being, you had allowed him to see what he was missing far enough.

A light chuckle follows your words ‘You did seem eager to do otherwise last night.’

Thank God he wasn’t looking at you at the moment, cause he would surely see the bright shade of red spreading across your face, making your heartbeat pick up its pace; still, you try to play it cool as you pass your blouse over your head.

‘What can I say? We all make mistakes.’

‘Is that so?’ Demetri laughs once again as you come out of your room, fully dressed in training clothes and looking at him expectantly, resting your hands on your waist.

‘It’s exactly so.’ you spit at him, before rolling your eyes ‘So, why are you here Demetri?’

Demetri straightens his posture at your words suddenly remembering the true reason he was here, other than tease you around since you were in good mood. Not that he would go too far and ruin it; he preferred it when you were not all grumpy and brooding. Still, he simply couldn’t resist.

‘I am going to train you on how to take on newly born vampires today. We have exactly one month to teach you, so we have to start as soon as possible.’ He confesses, explaining the situation to you.

In his words, you let out a sigh ‘So I am going to beat your ass once again?’

This time, his grin was as huge as it was arrogant ‘I cannot remember you beating me up until now. A bit ahead of ourselves, aren’t you there ____?’

‘Well in the past, I didn’t have a solid chance. Now things are different.’ You smile a fake innocent smile.

Demetri allows you to walk out of the room first, following you close behind with his interest peaked; he had obviously taken the bait of your pretentious innocent comments. If you could just rile him up a little bit more…

‘How are things different now? I am still a vampire and you are a disabled human.’ He commented as the elevator doors opened and you walked in.

Keeping your head straight forward, you do not reply to him at first, waiting for the elevator doors to close and the cubicle to start moving. You could feel his expectant gaze nailed on the side of your head, so when you eventually turn to face him, his red eyes are glowing curiously under the weak light of the elevator. My God how handsome he looked bathed in the mid-light; it made your stomach warm up and your heart to pound. Especially when you took a step closer to him, allowing his sweet aroma infiltrate your senses and blur your mind. Willingly, you tried to compose yourself as you smiled deviously, leaning near his ear to whisper.

‘You forget Demetri’ you breathe out, seeing his shoulders tense ‘I know all your weaknesses.’ With your fists grabbing a firm hold of his clothes, you pull him to cup against you.

In the blink of an eye, you were no longer standing in the middle of the elevator.

Demetri pinned you against the wall, his free hand searching for the buttons and eventually hitting a certain one, before he turned his dark with lust gaze towards you and the cubicle stopped.

‘Do you have any idea how dangerous is this?’ he whispers angrily, allowing you to nevertheless pull him even closer ‘Aro ordered us not to mess with you.’

This time, it was you who scoffed mockingly ‘And look where that got you right? I say screw Aro’s rules.’ You lean towards him, brushing your lips ever-so-softly against his own.

It affected him and both of you knew it. Because the vampire rested his lethal hands on the wall in each side of your face, his lips moving forward to meet with yours and you deliberately moving backwards to tease him. His breathing had completely seized and his dark red eyes were positively dazed; inside this small space and with your restrainer off, you had allowed your scent to fill it in order to mess with him even more. And it was working. For the first time since all this started with Demetri, you were the one having the upper hand for once. Yes, it was hard for you as well to keep your focus, but willingly putting all your mental power to it, you were hanging on. As you were holding Demetri by a thread. His body was a few inches away from yours, ready to devour you like a true animal at any given moment.

‘What do you want Demetri?’ you ask, you voice barely above a gentle whisper.

He answered without a moment’s hesitation ‘I want you _____.’

A victorious smile carved into your face ‘Then kiss me.’

Sparing no moment to wait, his lips smash against yours.

_Ding._

The elevator doors opened widely right beside you, filling the space with the bright light of a sunny day. As if you burnt him, Demetri pulled away from you in a millisecond, pushing himself on the opposite wall, looking around him all confused. He obviously failed to detect the faint breeze coming from your fingers that pushed the button and set the elevator back to motion. Now, all you could do was mentally high-five yourself as his dangerous gaze fell on your smiling form.

‘What did you-‘

‘Play time’s over. Buh-bye.’ You wave, walking out of the elevator with your steps and heart as light as a feather.

The moment you stepped a single foot out of that elevator, inhaling the Demetri-free air and managing to clear your head up, you almost dash towards the training room with everything you had. It would be rather smart of you to surround yourself with as much people as possible, since the vampire currently walking behind you was emitting waves of pure anger which melted your back away. It was a sly trick the one you pulled at him back there and you were not oblivious that he was already plotting his revenge, but honestly, it served him right for all the times he played you around. If he wanted to do anything, he would have to wait for now, buying you precious time to plan your escape plan.

So words were not even enough to describe how relaxed you felt the moment you walked inside the training room, to find it filled with people. Alec and Felix were battling one another on the mat, with Felix trying to teach the younger kid the very basics while right behind them, sitting by the window, were master Aro and Marcus sitting; the sunlight bathed them both, revealing the hideous pattern of coal black veins against pure white skin.

‘______ you’re here!’ Alec exclaims the moment he sees you, rushing to give you a ‘cold’ bear hug.

‘What took you so lo-‘ Felix’s sentence was cut in half before his mouth half opened in awe, as he looked past you and towards Demetri. For Felix to be taken aback like that, Demetri must have been truly pissed; still, you didn’t turn to see for yourself and instead threw your hands tenderly around Alec’s waist, with the boy playfully kissing the top of your head.

‘My lovely _____’ Aro exclaimed the moment he saw you ‘Ready for your special training today?’ he said excitedly, but your attention was drawn by Marcus, whose puzzled gaze shifted from you to Demetri and back at you.

Strange.

‘As ready as I’ll ever be Aro.’ You try to continue the conversation, looking at the Master and trying to smile ‘I’m still questioning my evolvement though. Wouldn’t it be preferable for someone more skilled than me go?’

‘Nonsense!’ Aro waves you off ‘You have all the skills needed. All it takes is a bit more training. Newborns will be the perfect challenge.’

‘Newborns’ another voice sounded and you saw Demetri standing right across from you on the mat, glaring at you with a stare-to-kill ‘Are extremely cunning and vicious. One moment’s hesitation and you will die. So if you are done cuddling with Alec, we may begin.’ He pointed out.

‘Jeez, relax Mr. Grumpy, you’re going to give yourself a stroke.’ You mock him as you release your grip around Alec and the boy messed with your hair playfully before withdrawing to the side, leaving the space empty.

One gaze over Demetri and you instantly know he is not amused; he is not amused at all. His coal black eyes were fixated on you like a true predator’s while his jaw was tightened to the extreme. A dark aura emanated from every inch of his existence, making all alerts go off inside your mind and your body immediately shifts into battle mode the moment you see him mimicking your actions. This was not going to be fun at all. Suddenly, you mentally regret ever getting out of bed today. Because as you stood right in front of a pretty pissed off Demetri, you sincerely worried for your life; or even worse.

‘Are you ready?’ he asks, a threatening smile giving you a full view to his fangs.

Still, you stare back defiantly ‘Bring it on!’

In an instant, Demetri disappeared from right in front of you.

You braced yourself.

Demetri’s side punch thrown against the side of your face was blocked by your specially-reinforced hand. The impact was still very tangible, making you tighten your jaw to keep your emotions at bay as you raise your leg to return the favor. Kicking him straight into his stomach, you attempt to continue your assault against him with a punch on his face, but the man is quicker to react this time. His fist finds you straight in the neck, knocking all air out of your lungs and blocking your air-pipes completely; struggling for air you have zero reaction time as the man grabs your hand and using his shoulder as lever, catapults you on the ground behind him, making you fall like a sack of potatoes, further pushing air out of you.

His black eyes follow your every move as you squirm on the floor, clasping your neck tightly, before you use your powers to lift your body up and stand on your feet. The moment you are up Demetri attacks again with the only difference being you were prepared.

Grabbing his hand by moving your body to the side just in time to do so, you twist your body gracefully al at the same time twisting his hand to bring it behind his back, kicking his knees from under him and making his kneel in front of you. Raising your free hand in the air, your attempt to hit him on the head fails when he moves to the left, avoiding it and taking advantage of your bend over self, he grabs you and twisting you, he manages to land you against the ground once again. The moment you are down, you immediately roll to the right, avoiding his fist targeting your stomach. Using your position to your advantage, you kick him where the sun doesn’t shine with your foot, earning you a loud swear and enough time to stand up again. His next attempt to grab you is avoided with a fluid movement to the left and then to the right for the next one. Still, in a flash you feel his elbow grab a strong hold of your neck, as your body is pushed against his steely own and Demetri holds you in a chokehold.

Twisting and turning like a mad-woman, your attempts to escape are futile. Demetri growls victoriously when you scream out of frustration. Hope seemed to be lost for you until your brain decides to produce another thought, which you immediately put into action. Instead of pushing your head forward, you eject it back, hitting Demetri straight in the face. His grip loosens, allowing you to use your body and catapult him towards the ground from over you, with him falling on it with a loud thud and a swear. To prevent him from rising, you immediately sit on him, nailing his limps down with your powers.

‘I win.’ You exclaim playfully watching him trying to catch his breath and smiling back.

‘For now babe.’ He retaliates, winking at you and smiling back.

His words get drowned at the round of applause erupting around the room, with master Aro laughing loudly and rushing towards you to help you out, before Demetri stands up as well.

‘Well done my dear ____, you are truly exceeding every expectation.’ He says excitedly, giggling as he led you towards where he and Marcus sat.

‘I have good trainers.’ You shyly confess, sitting on the chair Aro offered you.

Even from up close, the vampire veins appeared horrendous on the two males, scaring you a little bit but you try to ignore it as Aro sits on his chair once again, looking at you with gleaming eyes. They reminded you of a child standing in front of an enormous toy display, were he can choose whatever toy he likes. On the other hand, Marcus appeared as distant and bored as ever. Still, even if the men were so different, their aura of authority was pouring out of them in steady waves, making you be on edge and careful for whatever you were about to say. Especially when Aro looked at you expectantly, your mind cleared up in an instant and your weariness was pulled to its limits.

‘So, my beloved _____; what would you like us to discuss?’ Aro smiled one of his trademark smiles that worried you more than actually relaxed you.

In his words, you are puzzled at first but as soon as the look of confusion flashes through your face, so does realization. Sounds and grunts come from behind you and you know the rest of the gang were resuming their training. And of course, Aro had read your thoughts the first chance he got.

‘I wanted to ask you –both of you actually- umm…about my clan. The…Distorters.’ You manage to speak up, your mind falling in a complete whirlwind as you look upon them.

Not a single emotion alters their faces.

‘What would you like to know?’ Marcus speaks up, his voice barely audible while the man never even turned to look at you.

This doesn’t help too much though ‘I would like to know everything. Who they were, what they did, what happened to them…’ you blurt out with one breath.

‘Well, you see ____, Distorters were different from us.’ Aro informs you, taking your hand gently in his cold own; out of pure fear and caution, you wanted to take it back, but decided against it.

Aro offers you a dark, menacing smile; he knew what you were thinking. Way to make it even more uncomfortable.

‘Distorters used to live among us since the early days of Dracia- our vampire country. No one really knows who the first one was; they simply existed along our side, giving us their assistance. You see, no vampire can truly bend Nature at will. The closest we can get, is shifting it to our will. We can never generate it in contrast to you.’ he explained ‘So inevitably, vampires and distorters walked side by side. The ones before us, the Romanians, gathered all the distorters under their protection, giving them lands to cultivate and live in, in return for their assistance. Your clan was rather enormous in size; before the Romanian Fall, they must have been thousands.’

‘What happened to them?’ in your question, Aro’s gaze softens with pity and sorrow; it was your first time seeing the man truly sorry about something, yet you knew him all too well. He was sorrier for the loss of power than the loss of lives. The answer though, doesn’t come from him.

‘When the Romanians realized we were moving against them, they entered the Distorter village one night and annihilated them all.’ Marcus says, waving his hand indifferently as if he was talking for the weather and not a massacre ‘When they were done with them, there was not a single trace of them left. Not even a woman or child in sight. Now, seeing that you are here, we think some of them must have escaped out of pure luck and went into hiding.’

Choking down the lump growing on your neck, you pose your next question ‘So there are others like me?’

Aro nods ‘Unfortunately we have turned the world upside down. You are the last one remaining.’

Of course you were!

‘So no pressure then huh?’ now the tears had already bloomed in your eyes.

It was one thing to know there were very few others of your kind spread and scattered all over the world and it was a totally different one when you suddenly realized you were all alone. Pain and sorrow didn’t even begin to describe the feelings you felt about people you had never even met; they were nothing but strangers, distant ghosts of a forgotten past too many years before you were even a single thought in your mother’s mind, yet you felt their loss deep into your bones. It wasn’t just death, it was a massacre. Men, women and children just like you were slaughtered like sheep in front of a vicious game for power. How cruel life can truly be… Having no mercy for anything or anyone. Everyone dies in the end, no matter how innocent or kind. On the contrary, the innocent are always the first victims.

Abruptly, you raise yourself on your feet.

‘Excuse me masters, but I have more training to do.’  
  


**~ * ~**

  
  
‘And so, when the people on the screen appear, don’t freak out and go all crazy on me.’

‘I have seen a laptop work in the past _____. Renata showed me one.’ Alec chuckles as you sit beside him on the bed, letting out a barely audible exclamation of pain.

After what appeared to be an unending day, the sun had finally set upon Voltera. You had spend almost all noon and afternoon training and preparing for the battle lying ahead of you and you had to admit Demetri had gone full out on you with the training. As a result, your whole body was sore now, making breathing way more difficult than what it should be. To make matters worse, finding out about the terrible fate your own clan had in the past did nothing to help you focus or keep your loud thoughts under control. The result? A massive headache to accompany your physical pain. So here you were now, in your bed sitting right next to Alec on your comfortable pillows and making the necessary arrangements on the laptop to see a movie deemed extremely important for the boy to see. Alec had leaned on the pillows, spreading his limps like a huge cat and being excited like a little boy about everything. When you were sure everything was ready, you lay back at well, resting your head on the boy’s shoulder before hugging him.

He didn’t complain.

‘What did you say we were going to see?’ he asks as the titles begin.

‘It’s a movie about a little girl and her parents that are moving to a small town in the countryside, much to her dismay. On their way there, they make a wrong turn that leads them to a tunnel and they end up wandering into a world ruled by gods, spirits and witches and were humans are changed into beasts.’ You say.

‘Sounds fun to me.’ Alec laughs.

The movie begins and both of you remain quiet, watching the events unfolding right in front of you. Alec had questions here and there, trying to understand what was going on or comment about something he liked and despite your fatigue, you find yourself happily helping him out. He was really young; in his mind, he remained nothing but an adorable child.

‘_____ can I ask you something?’ he asks at some point, when Chihiro was talking with Yubaba.

‘Mhm.’ You prompt him to continue.

He hesitates ‘I-I like your company very much. You’re really cool and fun to be around. So can you please stay here?’

In his words, you freeze. Out of all things, you never expected him to say something like that. But then again, he was just a kid.

‘I’ll see what I can do Alec. Don’t worry.’

As the movie progresses, you are already asleep when Chihiro remembers her name. Alec notices by your steady heartbeat, but says nothing. Instead, he covers you up to protect you from the cold and stays beside you.

This way, no one would mess with you.

Not now that he was here.


	30. Chapter 27 Goodbye, I Love You

It was finally time.

With your loud thoughts eating away your brain, you sigh loudly, throwing a jacket mindlessly on your bed, trying to prepare for the long trip that lied ahead of you. After almost four weeks of constant preparation, of constant training and sharpening of your magical skills, the time you would be facing the newborns had finally arrived. And it found you utterly in distress. In the past, you had gone up against many vampires, many centuries older than you and more powerful and never had you felt the same kind of dread as you did now. Because right now, something deep inside of you was warning you things would go down fast. If you could, you would try to convince Aro not to go, but knowing the first Master of the Volturi, something like that was utterly out of the question. Still, even if you would be surrounded by the finest of Volturi guards –along with Demetri and Felix- and you had finally taken off your cast, being able to walk once again like a normal human being, nothing could ease your worried mind at all.

You were left to prepare completely on your own, trying desperately not to freak out. Not that they cared in the least; the masters that was.

‘If you don’t relax, you’re going to give yourself a heart attack.’

Being so engulfed in your thoughts, you had never even felt the presence walking casually inside your room before it was too late. You were so engulfed in getting ready and making sure you had everything, that you never really noticed you were not alone anymore. So in the sudden sound, a loud scream of utter horror leaves your lips and you throw whatever was in your hands to the ground, with your heart almost stopping inside your chest and your mind going haywire. Needless to say all alerts were ringing loudly in your ears, screaming danger of the most mortal kind, right before gentle yet cold hands rested on your cheeks and someone cooed you to calm down.

‘Not that I do not enjoy scaring you, but you are seriously going to hurt yourself.’ Demetri spoke softly, his calm voice and breath falling on your face gingerly, managing to make you focus.

The coldness of his hands manages to relax your tense muscles a bit and in the sight of the familiar face, your heart is overwhelmed by a feeling of security that washed over you, making you relax considerably.

‘Please don’t do that again. Not now.’ You choke out, trying to keep your voice steady ‘I’m not in the mood for games.’

His eyebrows furrowed above his majestic eyes ‘Are you worried about the mission ___?’

The way he spelled your name send a wild shiver down your spine, making your hair in the back of your neck stand up as you once again noticed how observant the man must have been; that and the fact you almost had an actual aneurism right in front of him didn’t make things easier for you to hide anything.

So surrendering, you eventually nod ‘I don’t like this mission. I have a feeling something will go wrong and I can’t shake it off.’ You exclaim, watching as the man removed his hands and went for your purely white cloak, taking it carefully in his hands and studying it, like it was something he saw for the very first time.

‘It appears that you still do not trust us with your safety.’ He murmured calmly, but you knew him all too well to notice he seemed kind of offended.

Great! Exactly what you needed right now. A sullen Demetri.

‘No, it’s not that and you know it.’ he turns to look at you and you sigh yet again ‘It’s the fact I’m afraid for all of us. Old vampires I can deal with; unpredictable and unstable ones are a no-no. And of course, under the tag unstable, you don’t count this time.’ you tease him in a desperate attempt to lighten up the mood of the room.

It seems to actually work when you see a faint smile make its way on his lips, as he passes your cloak over your shoulders and proceeds to tie it up with exceptional care.

‘I will ignore your insult yet again.’ He declared as he dropped his hands on his sides and gazed over you with true worry painting his red eyes.

He knew all too well that you did not worry yourself without a certain reason or for nothing. So having you stand right in front of him and declare you were scared, scared for all of them, was not something the vampire took lightly. He wanted to calm you down, but were there any correct words to actually say? If he said you would be perfectly safe, he would be lying. No one was safe when it came to newborns, let alone a human dessert walking and fighting right in front of them. But what he really knew was the fact he was not going to let anyone lay a single finger on you. No matter what. And he was going to use that in order to ease your trouble.

Inhaling a deep breath, one that was tainted with your all-too-sweet vanilla scent, he cherished the moment for a split second, resting his hands once again on your cheeks, allowing his knowledge that physical contact calmed humans down take effect. And surely enough, your whole posture seemed to change as your shoulders loosened considerably.

‘Stay right beside me when the battle begins and I can assure you I will keep you safe.’ He murmured calmly.

You hesitated for a second ‘Alright.’

Leaning in towards you, he graces you with a tender kiss on your forehead before he disappears completely, leaving you alone inside the room.

If he kept following you around, you wouldn’t be so focused to gather your stuff at all, so you mentally thanked him for his discretion. As you threw the last of your things inside the small bag you were taking along, you flung it over your shoulder and walk out of the room, heading straight towards the garage, where the rest of them would be waiting for you. You still didn’t know where you were going and of course, Jane who was appointed leader of the whole excursion did nothing to clarify your questions at all. Instead, all of you remained completely silent in the whole ride to the airport, with Demetri deliberately choosing to sit right next to you; under the darkness of the night, the immortal man tried his best to calm your weary heart down, resting his fingers tenderly on yours and rubbing your skin with his thumb carefully. It was a gentle and discreet move; nobody other than Felix who was sitting right across from you on the car seemed to notice or even if they did, no comments were made whatsoever. And even if you kept worrying about what the next day was going to bring you, suddenly you felt surer about a positive outcome for all of you. All that with a single touch from the cold man. From the cold yet handsome beyond comprehension man, who had taken a liking to you. Even if you didn’t want to admit it, it was making you warmer than before. Happier than before. But of course, you wouldn’t dare say it out loud.

There wasn’t too much to do when you arrived at the airport. A of you would be traveling with the same private jet you had used to get to Greece and to so many other locations, so the moment you were in and settled, it took off. Spending a whole day worrying had left you emotionally exhausted so the moment you saw Alec and Jane talking among each other quietly in a corner, you excused yourself briefly and left the room for the small bed lying n the back of the airplane but not before you graced Demetri with a small smile; too small, too careful. You didn’t want him to get ahead of himself or think too much of it. And with a weary heart and mind, you allowed your head to rest on the comfortable pillow and you were out in no time. Thankfully for you, even if your mind spared you of any dreams whatsoever, the darkness which enveloped you was just what you needed to calm down and relax, passing the whole flight with no disturbances or uneasy thoughts. Even the vampires had left you at peace and only at some point did you feel Alec coming inside the room just to make sure you were properly covered with your blankets. Alas, you were too tired to thank him.

‘______. Wake up princess; we have work to do.’

Someone was trying to wake you up, his cold hand resting on your shoulder as he tried to shake you gently and earn your attention by bringing you back from the dreamland. Instead though, you simply slap the hand off.

‘Go away Demetri.’ You say sloppily ‘I don’t have time for you lame flirtation moves.’

He chuckles loudly, his laughter deep and whole-hearted ‘Would you prefer my lame flirtation moves or Jane’s wakeup call?’

Even if your eyes were still closed and your mind dozing off, you couldn’t simply ignore processing what he had just suggested. The moment Barbie-vamp-Hitler’s name came up, your eyes open wide despite your fatigue to glue on the smiling vampire who drew your blankets to help you up, clearly satisfied with himself. In the view of his clearly satisfied face, you frown as you rub sleep off your eyes.

‘You really feel quite accomplished now, don’t you?’ you throw at him as you see him pick up your white cloak and help you wear it once again the moment you stand up.

‘I do actually.’ He admits cockily.

‘Screw you.’

‘Anytime you want babe.’ He winks, earning an eye roll from your part.

Slapping his hands away, you walk out of the room with Demetri hot on your tracks. The rest of the vampires were waiting for you outside the small plane, with Jane throwing you a clearly hostile glare which you decided to return with the very same heat. As you come to a stop near the others, your gaze wanders around to the small airport you were currently in, which was as empty as it was quiet; if you could describe it somehow, you would say that the whole place looked haunted –to say the least- and the coldness of the freezing wind made you tighten your cloak against you. One would have thought it was early spring, yet the cold was as piercing as if it was winter.

‘Now that we are all here.’ Alec speaks up, offering you a warm smile.

You return it back to the boy, but right beside you, Demetri grows rigid.

‘I should congratulate you for your incompetence human; you continue to be just as useless as the first day you walked inside the Castle.’ Jane interrupts whatever her brother was about to say, glaring at you with malice.

‘Aw, you are too kind Jane.’ You retaliate, offering her an ironic smile ‘I love you too.’

Her face if she was still human would have surely turned bright red with rage, but since she wasn’t, her eyes grew big as two dinner plates and she was truly shaking with anger, like you had just force-fed her something utterly horrific. Everybody around you laughed as she glared at you like she was ready to rip your head off or use her monstrous power over you, but you looked back at her cockily; you had –in some weird ass way- grown used to her power and even if continued to hurt as living hell, you would endure it. What could she do anyway? Kill you? Aro wouldn’t like that.

The laughter though did not last long, since no one other than you didn’t want to produce her rage, so when everything was silent again, Jane straightened her posture and looked anywhere else but to you.

‘The newborns are near the docks. Our mission for tonight is to track them and see how many they are. Understood?’ she barked.

Felix and Demetri nodded, while you and Alec remained utterly silent. Even if you wanted to taunt her a little bit more, you were here on a mission and she was the appointed leader of it. You would have to do as she told you even if you didn’t like it. Bummer right? Jane barked a few more orders, mainly to you and to Felix, insisted on not to engage in any form of quarrel and rather observe them and meet up with her and Alec when you had your results. So before you had the chance to blink, everyone simply disappeared from your sight, leaving you to tag along with Demetri.

Raising your white hood over your head, you turn your gaze to the man; he was unusually quiet and focused, making no comment whatsoever when you hopped on his back and grabbing him tightly from the neck, you held on as everything blurred around you; you couldn’t decide if it was a good or a bad thing that Demetri didn’t speak –in previous cases, no matter how dangerous the situation was, he did make comments or clever remarks, but not this time- yet you had no chance to ask him about it as he ran through the night and towards your destination. The smell of the sea and the fish reached your nose quite faster than anything else and the steady sound of the waves hitting one another reached you soon afterwards. Keeping your eyes tightly shut, you indulge yourself on the sounds and smells that prevailed all around you, a few of them a bit blurred by Demetri’s own sweet scent.

You only allowed your eyes to open when Demetri came to a stop.

Once he did though, you regretted ever opening them to begin with.

Everywhere beyond the point you were standing –at the edge of a four floor building rooftop- was utter chaos. In the sight you were presented with, your mouth falls open with silent horror before closing sharply and swallowing hard; cold, merciless terror spread through your heart, poisoning your veins and reaching your brain to make it grow completely numb. Your powers flinched and coursed to your fingers, ready to protect you and Demetri at any given second. Because right in front of you, right on the small, wooden decks laying beyond the point you were standing, were approximately fifteen newborn vampires. Men and women of any age were screaming, laughing, growling or fighting one another, producing mind-splitting sounds that made you want to cover your ears in order to protect them. Blood was everywhere, its coppery smell reaching even your dull human senses and the sound of cracking bones send wild shivers down your spine before reaching your stomach and making it turn. Mentally, you thank your obviously wise decision not to eat anything, since you would have probably emptied it all up. Demetri took a single step closer to you, his watchful eyes falling on the monstrosities right before him and his sturdy hand snaking its way around your waist; this time, you knew it had nothing to do with making a move to you, but it was rather a simple action in order to protect you if need be. The vampires right before you seemed not to have noticed you though, continuing with battling one another or playing around with what appeared to be remains of people’s limbs.

‘What should we do Demetri?’ you dare ask, averting your gaze to save your brain from the hideous view.

Demetri’s jaw tightens and he doesn’t turn to look at you at all as he answers ‘Nothing. There is nothing we can do. They have already turned into monsters and we have no authority to end them.’

You flinch as a scream reaches your ears ‘Is this how every vampire starts its life?’

He nods ‘No. This is the result of unkempt and completely loose rules. Their creator does not give any importance of making them co-exist with the humans. Instead, he turns them into killing machines. This is direct violation of the Volturi Laws. The creator must always help them adjust, blend in and hide. Control their thirst and not go on killing sprees. Believe it or not, our goal is to coexist. Not annihilate.’

As the man finishes his sentence, another scream, a scream all too human reaches your ears and turning, your blood runs cold as you see eight humans being tossed inside the circle or vampires, some of them stumbling on one another and the rest of them trying as much as they could to stay away from the vampires. The newborns form a circle around them almost instantly, leaning down and growling at them as if they were true predators that have cornered their completely defenseless prey. Out of nowhere, one of the humans sees a mirage of an opening and makes a run for it; he barely manages to make a few steps before a newborn snatches him and instantly bites him in the neck. In a strange way you could not fathom, the human produces a single bloodcurdling scream, before his head slides off his neck and falls on the ground. It was the signal the rest of them needed to launch against the rest of the humans.

‘We have to help them!’ you say, raising your hand and preparing to create an air vortex around the humans, but a cold hand falls on your protruding own, making you lower it.

‘It is too late for them _____.’ Demetri coos, turning and grabbing you from the shoulder, makes you turn your back at the slaughter ‘We have to get back and report.’

Even if you wanted to scream at him to let go and help these unfortunate souls, these poor humans that where just like you, screaming and begging for their lives as their inevitable bloody end neared, you knew you could not save them. Even if you used your powers and Demetri helped, they were too many and too crazed for you to do anything else but survive their attack. There was really nothing you could do about them, but follow Demetri as he made his way towards the meeting point, while holding on to your hand for dear life as he lead you on. This time, you found yourself tightly grabbing his hand back, quickening your pace to match his own the more you could, trying to willingly push the screams back.

Both of you remained silent; there were no words to add to this monstrous situation.

Jane, Alec and Felix were not too far away from the point you and Demetri checked and surely, they were not gazing upon a too different spectacle as you had; this time, you were further inside the docks and among the warehouses. An old car was turned over and vivid flames came from its bottom, while various vampires were scattered all around, some of them fighting and some of them being fed by an alpha male vampire. As you walked up to the rest of the Guards, you took the liberty of speaking first to Jane.

‘There are a few more others on the western docks. They are currently feeding on a small group of humans.’

Demetri nods disapprovingly at the spectacle right in front of him, his lips curling over his sharp and venomous teeth ‘They have already drawn too much attention.’

‘So is our inaction.’ Felix comments in a sullen way ‘Some will start questioning the Volturi’s effectiveness.’

‘Let them.’ Jane simply waves his accusations off, gazing upon the newborns quietly and making you wander why wasn’t she using her powers to grand them all incapable and eventually help their annihilation. She was one of the most bloodthirsty Volturi around, other than Caius himself, so why wasn’t she doing anything while humans turned into pulp right before your very eyes?

Apparently, Felix had the very same thoughts with you, since he breathed out irritably, turning his back at the rest of you and walking off a little bit ‘Maybe we should consult with Aro.’

As simple of a sentence as it was, it surely made even your own blood freeze, let alone the others. It wasn’t everyday one would oppose someone like Jane and as you, Demetri and Alec turned towards the enormous vampire, Jane was already fixating on him. In a split second, you see Felix’s back make a perfect, backwards arc and the man has to bite his lips mercilessly in order to suppress his screams that would give your position away. Demetri’s hand tightened around yours; he didn’t like seeing his friend being tortured right before his eyes, but there was literally nothing he could do to help him out.

‘Aro’s decisions are being watched.’ Jane barks and releases Felix, with the man kneeling on the floor breathlessly.

The small girl turns towards the newborns once again thoughtfully, before her tiny mouth opens and her voice fills the air once again ‘Either we let them do what they were created for, or we end them…’ she comments ‘Decisions….decisions…’

‘Jane, you can’t possibly consider leaving them be right?’ you speak up, faster than you had the chance to control yourself, taking a step towards the little girl ‘They are going to annihilate the town’s population at this rate and turn all attention on them even more. You can’t think we can let them be right?’

Jane doesn’t even give you a dignified response, making you tighten your jaw in dismay.

‘This is not what Aro ordered us to do.’ You throw at her, making her turn ever-so-slightly towards you.

‘And how can a human like you know what Master wants?’

‘Because it’s what the Law says, Jane. The Volturi Law. Have you heard of it?’

The silence following your words makes you realize your words had hit bull's-eye. The cocky and arrogant girl remains silent and right beside her Alec gives you a silent thumbs up for managing to corner her without as much as a struggle. Demetri smiles beside you, but you have no time to celebrate with them as Jane turns around and starts walking off, making all of you rush to follow her.

‘They are going to be moved around dawn. We will follow them and see where they are going before we interfere. Until then, everybody stays obediently down.’ She orders.

Dawn wasn’t as far away as you anticipated it to be. When the sun began to rise in the distant horizon, you saw in surprise all the newborns gather up at the edge of the docks and then unceremoniously jump into the murky waters. In the past you had seen vampires do all kinds of stuff, but this ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ sh!t surely did take the cake and that was a unanimous decision after spending most of the night seeing them do all kinds of stuff. Some you found interesting, some utterly stupid. When you were sure every single one of them was gone, the rest of you prepared in silence and started running through the town and shortly afterwards, inside the forest. Everything kept being utterly quiet around you, as if the whole Nature was preparing for the threat the newborns were bringing along with them; she had gathered up her creations and allowed the vast skies to make snow fall in abundance, dressing the forest in breathtaking white and black colors.

As Demetri ran inside of it, carrying you on his back with no struggle at all, you had the chance to take in the breathtaking surroundings, keeping your eyes wide open for the first time since he carried you like that. The tall pine trees towered well above your heads; many meters from the ground, with their canopies covering what little could be seen of the sky. Mist was still lingering around on the tree trunks, filling the hazy maze with a silver glow as it slid nonchalantly over the snow and a few moments later, the greenest grass you had ever seen. It was strange how the terrain changed from snow to green flora once again, but you rested your thoughts with the simple observation that you must have been changing places with incredible speed. The sounds of water passing close by you or the wind coursing through the forest reached your ears and an all-too familiar scent of moist mixed with soil blurring your senses. Freshly fallen rain, green grass and clear, cold wind were aromas you knew all too well. Looking around you puzzled, you realized the forest did remind you something as well. Strange…

Realization hit you as hard as a brick wall.

Demetri barely had the chance to realize you were no longer sitting comfortably on his back before he completely lost his balance, crashing against the cold hard ground with power that made him drag along for several feet. You watched him crash and fall with a cold stare, leaning your legs down to the ground to stand up on your own. Anger was building up inside of you, running through your veins and intoxicating your very essence, making your vision turn completely red with a deranged glow. Right now, all you wanted to do was beat the sh!t out of Demetri and leave him a mess on the ground. Or literally send him to hell. Or shred him in half. You couldn’t decide. You felt so betrayed, so angry that he had straight up lied to you with no remorse, that it was so difficult not making him pay right here, right now. But first you wanted to hear him say it.

The man stands up and immediately turns to gaze at you, his eyes filled with surprise but not so much as when you walked up to him and leaving no space for him to react, you flat out slap him across the face.

Of course, you had used your powers in order not to hurt yourself and make a considerable impact, so you rejoice when you see his head shot to the side.

‘Do you have something to tell me Demetri?’ you scream at him, voice echoing inside the forest ‘DO YOU?!’

‘What on earth are y-‘ he tried to say, but you flat out interrupt him.

‘You lied to me! We are at FORKS DEMETRI! WE ARE BACK AT MY HOME!’ you scream and attempt to slap him once again, but inches before your hand touches him, his hand shots up and grabs your own.

His eyes darken considerably as he glares at you angrily ‘Do not do that.’ He warns.

‘Really?! You bring me back home in secret, leaving me in the dark and once I realize it, you have the AUDACITY TO THREATEN ME?! HOW DARE YOU??’ you scream, beside yourself with anger.

‘I thought we had more urgent matters to attend to!’ it’s his time to yell back.

‘Like? What is more important?’

‘The newborns! We have special orders to-‘

‘Are you mocking me right now?’ you scream back, further infuriated with his words ‘Are you seriously telling me that?!’

Demetri breathes in, trying not to let his anger get the best of him ‘We are here to help your friends ____! The newborns are after your friend Bella! We had to come and help; we are not the monsters you blame us to be!’

As your brain processes his words, your anger changes to disbelief and eventually to realization. All of your emotions must have been written all over your face, because as Demetri stares at you, his gaze softens and he breathes out, resting his hand carefully on your cheek, trying to further reason with you.

‘We are here to help ___.’

‘Really?’ you hear yourself breathe out.

‘Really. And we must hurry, because there is not much time.’ he advises, kissing your forehead.

It was the first time you knew he was not lying to you; it was the first time you could hear the sincerity in his voice and as your brain decided to piece all the facts together, what was happening here was dawning on you like a firework. It was Victoria who created the newborns; you remembered her lingering around even before the Volturi came into your life and right now, other than them, Victoria was the only one to pose a threat to Bella’s life. It was too random for a whole newborn coven to target the Cullens out of the blue, so it must have been it. Spending not a single second more, you hop back on Demetri’s back and both of you run behind the rest of your team.

This time, the run to reach the point of the battle was closer than you thought. Demetri comes to a stop the moment he sets a foot inside the vast clearing and from over his shoulder, you can see a large fire right in the middle, with many figures surrounding it –the Cullens. Hopping off Demetri’s back, you grab a strong hold of his left hand, your previous anger disappearing as you practically glue yourself on his side. It was a strange feeling; even if you could see all those familiar faces –people you considered family- a strange urge did not allow you to stray further away from Demetri’s side. Instead, you keep walking between him and Alec, tightening your grasp around his hand and allowing him to lead you.

And you knew everyone was watching you closely. From the way Jane walked a step further ahead than the rest, to Demetri’s cocky grin as if he owned the whole place and to the Cullens rigidness, you could practically cut the tension with a butter knife. Walking by the fire, you can clearly see what was left of the newborn army burn away, filling the place with a sickening sweet smell, before all of you come to a stop and lower your hoods. Everyone was there; Carlyle, Esme, Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper and Alice. And of course, Edward and Bella.

At the sight of your best friend, a feeling of happiness and relief washes over you. She was alright; she looked healthy, vibrant and finally full of life. She reminded you nothing of the ghost of herself she was when Edward was gone and right now, as she leaned on her mate for dear life, she appeared happier than ever –excluding the situation she was currently in. At the time, you realized you had made a wise choice of offering her a chance in life in return for yours. Edward must have heard your thoughts since he leaned towards her to whisper something and the girl looked up immediately, resting her chocolate brown eyes to you; both of you smiled at each other warmly, her gaze softening considerably, but none of you made a single move to come closer to one another. Instead, you remained exactly where you were; to tell the truth, you didn’t feel the need to rush by her side. At all.

‘Impressive.’ Jane’s voice brought you back to reality ‘I’ve never seen a coven escape an assault of this magnitude intact.’

‘We were lucky.’ Carlyle says, observing Jane with caution.

‘I doubt that.’ The girl replied.

Of course she did. If only she knew who must have helped out. Or rather which pack. At this thought, Edward turns his gaze to you, confirming your idea.

‘It appears we’ve missed an entertaining fight.’ Alec muses, laughing when you elbow him playfully on the ribs.

‘Yes…’ Jane says ‘It’s not often we are rendered unnecessary.’

‘If you had arrived half an hour ago, you would have fulfilled your purpose.’ Edward throws at the petite girl.

‘Pity.’ Jane comments in pure irony, before her eyes travel to a new figure, one that did not belong to the Cullens ‘You’ve missed one.’

Standing right behind Esme was yet another vampire. She looked rather young, maybe two or even three years younger than you. She had long, wavy brown hair and childlike characteristics, like a round jaw and face; her astonishing red eyes made you notice that she probably belonged to the newborn army. So why was she alive? Now that Jane averted her attention to her, she immediately felt uneasy and Jasper cautiously rushed to her side to make sure everything would be okay. It was your time to doubt that.

Carlyle on the other hand tried to calm the dangerous situation down ‘We offered her asylum in exchange for her surrender.’

‘That wasn’t yours to offer.’ Jane interrupts him, before looking at the girl ‘Why did you come?’

Whoever the girl was, she was given zero time to answer as Jane used her power on her. Her piercing scream split the silence in two, making the hair in the back of your neck stand up.

‘Who created you?’ Jane continued.

More screaming.

‘You don’t need to do that; she will tell you anything you need to know.’ Esme speaks up.

‘I know.’ Was all Jane said.

The girl struggled a bit in the ground ‘I don’t know. Riley wouldn’t tell us; he said our thoughts weren’t safe.’

‘Her name was Victoria. Perhaps you knew her. Edward says calmly, accusations lying under his tone as he reassured your suspicions about who was after Bella.

‘Edward, if the Volturi had knowledge of Victoria, they would have stopped her.’ Carlyle tries to pacify the situation ‘Isn’t that right Jane?’

‘Of course.’ You could hear the smile in her voice before she gingerly turned to you ‘____’

That was it. That as your signal to kill the little girl. Taking a single step forward, you see the Cullens visibly tense, all of their eyes falling on you as you try your best to keep your face neutral. You had no choice but to kill the girl; it was a direct order it would cost you to disobey.

‘She didn’t know what she was doing.’ Esme yells and Jane raises her hand to stop you ‘We’ll take responsibility for her.’

‘Give her a chance.’ Carlyle suggests.

But Jane was adamant ‘The Volturi don’t give second chances. Keep that in mind; Caius will be interested to know she is still human.’ She says, turning her gaze to Bella.

Your best friend seems uneasy ‘The day is set.’

Alas, Jane doesn’t give a single damn ‘Take care of that _____. I’d like to go home.’

With another step to the side, so you could look at the girl better, you gaze at the Cullens with an apologetic look. When your eyes meet with Carlyle’s the man offers you a small smile.

‘You reputation precedes you ____. The White Reaper’s threat is spreading among our kind like wildfire.’

‘I am sorry to hear that. But I am merely following orders.’ You say, trying to keep your voice from cracking as the man nods.

‘I would have to apologize for putting you through this; it must be terrible for a human to be exploited like that. I am truly sorry _____.’

What comes out of your mouth next, shakes even your own soul, but as the words leave your lips, you come to the realization they were the utter truth; nothing more or less.

‘You should be.’

Raising your hand, you feel your energy explode inside of you, running to do your biding immediately. Your eyes fall on the small girl, who was looking at you curiously; it gave you a full view to her face when she realized what you were doing, her eyes growing big and her mouth falling open, but there was nothing she could do to escape you. Orders were orders and she was long dead already. Grasping the air right in front of you, everything happens in the blink of an eye. Your fist clenches with power and the girl never has the time to scream as she dissolves into billions of little pieces.

Death had embraced her.

Everything was finally settled. Turning, you prepare to leave along with the others, giving an apologetic smile to the Cullens when you hear it.

A voice.

An all too familiar voice.

‘______!!!’

Your breath is cut ‘Embry!’

Averting your gaze towards where the sound came, your eyes fall on the tall figure of your best friend, standing at the other side of the field. Immediately, your heart accelerates its beat and you take a step towards him, wanting like nothing else to see him. Longing and pain laced your whole body in the memory of how you had left things off and right now, all you wanted to do was hug life out of the werewolf. Only that a hand stopped your advance. Unwillingly turning to look at whoever stopped you, you see Demetri’s hand wrapped around yours as a dark glow painted his eyes; he was watching Embry as well and he looked positively pissed. Not that you cared in the least right now.

‘Let me go.’ You order him, trying to yank your hand away from him, but as he turns to look at you wordlessly, his red eyes become utterly black.

‘No.’ he declares, voice cold and merciless, remind you of the first days you met him.

Clenching your jaw in dismay, you do the unthinkable ‘Jane?’

The girl was watching the werewolf come your way with obvious uninterest ‘You have only two minutes.’

Demetri allows a low growl to rumble from the depths of his chest at the sound of the permission, but he does nothing to stop your advance as you defiantly use your powers to release yourself from his grip, watching as his iron fingers still tried to claw their way back and stop you from rushing by Embry’s side. Turning your head towards the werewolf, you do not give room for any other thought to spring inside your mind as you put a foot in the front, then the other and before you even realized it yourself, you were already running as fast as you could towards Embry.

A burning sensation spreads through your chest as your desperate for air lungs tangle their pain along with all the longing, sadness and pain you had been hiding inside your chest from the moment you agreed to go with the Volturi. You had missed your home. You had missed Embry, Jacob and your father; you had missed everything that made you who you were. So now seeing your childhood friend run towards you with the same pain and longing lacing his face, with tears running down his cheeks, broke you irreparably even more. Yet the moment you are close to each other, your hands wrap around one another with sheer power and love. Earth is lost under your feet as Embry picks you up from the ground with no effort at all, with you crying and laughing and hugging him as tightly as your body allowed you to. The man chokes a bit as he tries to laugh over his tears, his hand tangling in your hair and the other one fastening tightly around your back. Seconds, minutes or even millennia could have passed right here and there, but you would never let go of this man; you would never allow anything to break him, to sadden him. Because you loved him all too much.

‘You’re alive.’ He choked out again and again, as if he could not believe it himself ‘You’re alive.’

‘Of course I am silly! I’m too fabulous to die like that.’ You try to joke, choking on your very own sobs.

‘Shut up, you know how worried I was?’ he says, tightening his grip even more, kicking air out of you.

You frown ‘I know. I am so sorry I didn’t make it to you Embry. I shouldn’t have been so reckless.’  
Embry lets you stand down, never seizing to hold you tightly against him, as his one hand comes to rest on your cheek tenderly; he was looking deep into your (e/c) orbs with his brown own, as if he strongly believed you were going to dissolve into dust right before him, or he would wake up to see all of this was a dream. To reassure him though, you rest your own hands on his cheeks and you grace him with a gentle kiss on the forehead. His brown eyes were still stained with pain and sadness, something you knew was because of what had happened, but with all your heart, you wished to simply chase it away. To make him happy again.

‘I am here now Embry.’ You coo gently as more tears run down your face ‘I am here to see you and I am okay.’

He nods, closing his eyes to stop his own tears before he opens them again decisively ‘They didn’t hurt you did they? Cause I can kill them right here if they did so much as to lay a single finger on you.’

‘No, no Embry.’ You rush to say, a bit faster than what would be believable ‘I am fine; they treat me well, you don’t have to worry.’ Mentally, you thank whoever god was up there that your cast was gone along with all of your bruises from the time in the dungeons. It was surely not a spectacle you wanted Embry to see; neither would it help him come out alive if he charged against any of them.

You knew he didn’t believe you, from the death-glare he threw over your head and the gentle pull even further against his warm body in a protective manner. Still, he was all too reasonable to let this moment go to waste.

‘Are you here to stay? Did you come back once more?’ he hopefully says, but the spark leaves his eyes when he sees the hurt smile you offer him.

You nod ‘I’m so sorry Embry. But I didn’t come back to stay. I only did to make sure everyone is alright. How is Jacob? How is dad? How are you?’ you ask all the questions you wanted to make in all those letters that never came to him.

Embry detects your tone immediately, his gaze darkening despite his bright smile that still decorated his face ‘We are all fine _____. You don’t have to worry for anyone other than yourself. We can take care of ourselves so all you have to do is come back to us. We’ll be waiting for as long as you want.’ He comments and hugs you once again with everything he had. His rich aroma of honey and cinnamon reaches your nose in a familiar wave, but your eyes never fail to see Sam walking in the clearing behind him. It was time to say goodbye already?

Right behind you, back where the fire still burned brightly, Demetri was still exactly where you had left him, standing in front of the Cullens and throwing dark glares your way as if he could melt your back away. So this was the infamous Embry you called out when you were burning up with fever.. He was merely a little child. How utterly strange to monopolize your attention so easily and so much. You had obviously forgotten that he was still standing there, waiting for you to return; the others had retreated already but he had stayed to make sure you returned to him. Your furious face as you pulled your hand away from him and rushed by the boy’s side was playing over and over again inside the immortal man’s mind, flashing before his eyes and doing nothing to ease his anger; if he could only smite him off the face of the earth. But even if Demetri was focused solely on you, he never fails to listen to the young Cullen talking to him while the rest of them tried to pack things up.

‘My advice is to do anything you can to make her happy Demetri; she deserves it more than you can possibly think.’ Edward speaks lowly, but can be heard quite clearly by the vampire tracker as his mate, Bella, looks up to him curiously.

In response, Demetri scoffs ‘I’m the only one that can make her happy Cullen.’

‘What is going on?’ Bella asks, looking between the two men as Edward smiles a crooked smile.

‘_____ is Demetri’s mate, Bella.’

Back were you and Embry were standing, Sam had finally walked up to you and told you they had to go. You didn’t want to say goodbye that fast, but you were no fool not to realize staying more would mean more pain for Embry when you left; your pain, you could deal with. His, not at all. So giving him another kiss on the cheek, you allow him to hold you for a moment before both of you separate.

‘Until next time ______.’ He smiles a truly sad but glad smile as you walk away slowly, turning to smile back at him with tears staining your eyes.

‘Goodbye Embry. I love you.’

Turning your back to the two men, you rush to walk your way fast towards the remaining Volturi and Sam makes sure you are not within earshot before he turns to a crying Embry, who had his eyes glued on your leaving form.

‘Why didn’t you tell her Embry?’ he asks cautiously, making sure no one would hear him.

Embry chokes on a sob ‘Why tell her and burst her bubble that everything is okay?’ he simply shrugs ‘She is better off not knowing, because the recent events would crush her. And she is too far away for me to help her recover.’

‘I see.’ Is the only thing Sam says.

‘It is better for her; ignorance some times, is bliss.’

Oblivious to the secret conversation the two wolves had, the moment you are nearing Demetri who had already spread out his hand for you to take, you turn to them once again and leave out a piercing wolf-cry, trademark of the small pack of wolves and the Tribe. Trademark of your own family. Embry and Sam return it and you choke out a small sob before waving goodbye to the Cullens and allow Demetri to place you on his back.

The last thing you saw before you disappeared into the woods was Embry looking at you blankly, with no more tears staining his face.


	31. Chapter 28 Bloody Angel

What a great day today was.

The birds were chirping, the sun was shining and you were once again listening to your favorite music, a little bit lower than the last time you did, in case any ‘scaring accidents’ occurred. Your mood had finally altered for the best since you saw Embry two days ago, and despite the bittersweet feeling of probably never seeing him again, you were happy he was okay. You were happy that everybody was alright. So you had gone back to Forks, met with your family, said the right kind of goodbye with Embry and had finally taken that obnoxious cast off, being able to walk around freely again. What more could you ask for to feel utterly happy?

Singing the song lyrics playfully to yourself, you raise your hair in a beautiful ponytail as you go around the room, trying to get ready for your day out. It would be a total waste of time to let this amazing sunny day pass without thoroughly enjoying it so you decided to do just that. Putting your annoyance aside, you had walked up to Valentina’s office and suggested the two of you to go out and have some fun around town since the weather was nice and you had some shopping to do here and there. The girl had agreed immediately and Aro hadn’t opposed you at all, especially after you agreed on placing the restrainer on once again in return for him allowing you. Thus, here you were now, dressing up with a cute white dress –you had actually kind of got fond of this particular color lately- and preparing for your day in the sun as you heard the door of your room open and you turned around.

Demetri had walked inside without sparing a single thought in knocking first, an annoying little feature of his that granted him a great spectacle yesterday of you walking around the room with just a bath towel wrapped around your naked body as you came out of the bathroom, alas, the vampire didn’t seem to care not even when you had catapulted various ornaments towards his direction. Now, he was standing at the door, his eyes focused on some paperwork he was holding and making you simply stare at him for a moment as you got ready.

‘There seems to be yet another mission for us.’ He simply says, but when he raises his eyes to meet with your figure, his eyebrow raises high in the air questionably ‘Going somewhere _____?’

God how handsome he was when he flashed that devious smile.

‘I’m actually going out with Valentina for some shopping, so the mission will have to wait.’ You simply shrug, slipping on your shoes.

Now he seemed clearly surprised ‘I thought the two of you did not get along too well.’ He cleverly observed.

You nod ‘We aren’t. But since I have a few errands to run and the sun is all so pretty, I thought it would be nice to have a girls’ day.’

He remained silent; his rich red eyes fixated on you, calculating and analyzing your every move as his lips had half opened, giving the suspicious vampire an adorable look you would have teased if you weren’t running so late. After a split second, he recomposed himself and straightened his posture ‘I will come with you then.’

‘Oh no you won’t.’ you declare, walking past him and out in the corridor.

‘May I know why?’ he followed you close behind.

‘Because you are missing woman parts and because it’s too sunny outside; people will notice anyone walking in a hooded uniform.’ You laugh, turning to gaze deep into his stormy eyes. He didn’t like what he was hearing, but there was nothing you could do about it.

Both of you enter the elevator and upon pressing the button leading to the ground floor, the doors close behind you. Demetri is standing right beside you brooding heavily, allowing you a thorough look upon his face as he did, with you smiling back calmly. Since coming back from Forks, the man appeared not to be in his usual upbeat and charming mood, brooding here and there when he thought you wouldn’t see him. One part of you understood that maybe, just maybe, he was a bit jealous of the way you had greeted Embry –the possessive way with which he held you back to prevent you from rushing to him and the same grip he gave you when you came back, as if he would simply lock you up and throw away the key- back in the field. Still, there was your other part that laughed at the idea. It would be stupid for Demetri to be jealous. Not impossible, but stupid. Right? Yet, no matter how much you tried interrogating him, he usually avoided the conversation like the plague. For the strangest of reasons though, you hated seeing him like that.

‘It’s just a walk and some shopping Demetri.’ You eventually speak up, tired of all the infuriated stares he was giving to the corner of the elevator ‘I just want to go out like a normal girl and have fun like a normal person. No harm will come, no one will steal me.’

The dark glare he threw you, not only surprised you, but would have easily made even Caius shrink back in his corner and apologize for his behavior; in its sight, your eyes open wide with surprise as a cold wave of fear envelopes you and you take an instinctive step back. Still, Demetri averts his eyes from you as the doors of the elevator open and he speaks up.

‘Just promise me to be careful.’

Having no time to answer him, with the words stuck inside your throat from your surprise, a warm hand wraps around your own and someone pulls you hard out of the elevator and to the bright light of the reception area, making you stumble on your own feet. Taken by surprise, you turn to look at your assailant, only to see a pretty excited Valentina offering you a bright grin from ear to ear.

‘Ehm, hi Valentina.’ You choke out, having complete awareness of Demetri passing behind you; electricity passed through you whole, diminishing when he distanced himself from you.

‘Hello miss ______!’ the girl beamed, her obnoxiously high-pitched voice piercing your ears unpleasantly; it reminded you nothing of Gianna’s melodious one ‘We are ready to depart if you have everything with you! I have already planned out the shops you want us to visit and I’ll make sure we’ll have lots of fun! This dress suits you!’

The tirade of compliments and announcements further reduces your chances in actually liking this girl, since they seemed as forced as they seemed fake. Having no other plan of action though and knowing Aro would never let you go out by yourself, you return her smile with a small one of your own, as the both of you walk towards the castle entrance, with Valentina chirping loudly right beside you and you nodding and adding a comment wherever was necessary. Your thoughts were too far away from your unpleasant company however. For the strangest of reasons, Demetri’s words of caution were echoing inside your mind and throwing it off balance making it hard to focus on anything really. What did he mean by them? Why should you be careful and why was he so worried all of the sudden? You simply couldn’t wrap your mind even remotely around what he might be meaning, no matter how much it worried you that you saw him like that. Demetri was never worried; Demetri never caution you for anything, since he usually was always by your side. But not today.

Bright, warm light envelopes your whole body, making you inhale a deep breath of utter relaxation. It was okay; Demetri was probably worried because he wouldn’t be around to keep an eye on you, but you were in no mood to put yourself in danger or try to escape. Your past experiences had taught you better than that.

All you do though is shop. One store after the other, as soon as something catches your eye you immediately go inside and buy it. Books, jewelry, clothes, random stuff, anything you like is added in one of your bags and you exit the shop with a huge smile on your lips. When people say that shopping is a form of therapy they are actually right. People were walking up and down the streets, their large smiles decorating their faces and making a warm feeling of comfort and familiarity spread inside your heart as you and Valentina roamed the streets, joking among each other and sharing stories. You heard me right; you were laughing and sharing stories with the obnoxious girl who seemed to add some of her own to the concoction without a single moment’s hesitation. Both of you may not have the best of relationships, but it is in moments like this one that even the coldest of hearts combine for a moment. You sat down for lunch at a small restaurant and when you did leave it, you went so far as you buy a small gift for Demetri; a high-fashioned, short black trench [coat](http://www.styleround.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Trendy-and-Classy-Winter-Jackets-for-Men-1.jpg) with silver buckles.

Maybe this would cheer him up. You tried finding one for Felix, but nothing was on his size.

The sun had started to fall in the distant horizon and the shadows had made their first appearance all around you when Valentina cheered excitedly.

‘Miss _____, we’re here!’ she exclaimed, pointing at a small hotel right beside you.

‘We were coming here?’ you ask puzzled, gazing the whole place up. It was designed in the usual Italian style s the rest of the buildings, with large marble pots with small trees inside and letters hanging above the entrance of the [building](https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/08/4d/24/cf/hotel-la-locanda.jpg), reading ‘Hotel La Locanda’.

‘Well’ Valentina turned her excited stare to you, clasping her hands together ‘There is someone here who’s dying to see you! He told me you’d love to see him too, so I brought you here to meet. With all the guards around the Castle, he was unable to come see you himself. You’ll be so happy!’

Before you had a chance to ask, Valentina grabs your hand and turning her back to lead you, she walks inside the hotel with you following her obediently. From the inside, the reception [area](http://www.hotel-lalocanda.com/hotel/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Saletta15.jpg) was warm and luxuriously decorated. Wooden furniture shone under the bright lights and various plants were giving the place a really vibrant aura of class and tradition. Valentina ignores everything and everyone as she pulls you along, passing inside the corridors were the rooms were and throwing both of you to climb a narrow staircase that lead to the upper rooms. The moment you do walk inside a certain hallway though, your initial surprise is overcome by your curiosity.

‘Who wants to meet me Valentina?’ you ask, trying to pull and free yourself from her grasp.

The excited girl turns to you only when you reach a small door in the end of the hallway. Raising her hand, she knocks a few times loudly.

‘Mister Luce Martelo of course!’ she announces as if you were playing dumb to mess with her.

At first your brain was unable to properly process her words and their meaning but the door opens widely before you and none other than Luce himself appeared on the threshold, his black hair in a casual disarray and a bright smile lighting his face up. He was wearing a casual shirt which was unbuttoned a bit down his chest and a pair of pants; he looked quite different from his suited self at the night of the ball, but he continued to be just as handsome looking. The moment the door opened, his eyes fell almost instantly on yours before he opened his lips to greet you properly.

‘Good evening girls. ____ it’s so nice you managed to come over.’ He said, taking a step to the side and nodding you to come inside.

Valentina took all of your bags in her own hands and with a reassuring smile she pushed you lightly inside the hotel room, with you managing to do nothing more but smile at Luce unsurely.

‘Eh, hey Luce. Long time no see.’ You choke out, your voice sounding alien even to you.

From the inside, his [room](http://img1.initalia.it/main_photo/500/11/16.jpg) was surely a suite of the hotel. There was a huge united space where the double bed and a small table with two chairs was, next to the TV, and right beside them was a small door that would probably lead to the bathroom. Shades of gold and dark blue decorated the curtains and the carpet and the remaining light of the day entered the space through the vast windows on the opposite wall. Looking around you, you could see a laptop resting on the coffee table, along with some papers which were scattered all around it, some of them even taped on the wall next to each other, with the tape still resting under them.

‘You live here?’ you ask, way faster than you could stop yourself.

‘For just a few days. I was hoping to see you before leaving, but coming three times over at the castle, the guards didn’t let me in.’ he smiles a small, crooked smile, his tall figure looming over the door in a strange way. It alerted you in a strange way; maybe it was just your hunter instincts, maybe it was something more, it alerted you and you tightened your posture unwillingly, straightening your shoulders.

‘I’m gonna leave you guys to chat. See you back at the castle miss ______!’ Valentina chirped and waved goodbye.

‘Valentina wa-‘ but before you had the chance to finish your sentence, Luce had already closed the door.

‘You are a hard person to get close to ____.’ Luce laughs, but there was something resting inside the blue of his eyes that didn’t quite fit right with you. Were they always so cold?

He takes a single step towards you, with your eyes noticing the slight move ‘What can I say? They don’t actually let me wander around too much.’ You force yourself to smile as warmly as you can, fighting your urge to dash out of there. You could just be paranoid and in that case, he would surely question you. Nevertheless, he does take another step towards you and you find yourself struggling not to take one yourself back.

‘But you are here now, aren’t you?’ he smiles and you are sure it was a falsely sweet one.

What the hell was happening?

Cold sweat bathes you ‘Demetri let me have some alone time to shop. He is going to pick me up in a bit.’

Your mind lost the mental battle and your body took a single step backwards as the tall man stalked towards you even more, being just a few steps away from you and standing in the very middle of the room; without you realizing it, you had been pushed to the inner side of the room, with the window on your back resonating the coldness of the night. Maybe your words came out exactly as you wanted them to –determined and unafraid- but the single retreat you did manage to bring it all down, revealing your uneasiness to the now threatening man. His eyes dart to your legs and then back to your face and he smiles so widely, so deranged, that you instantly know you are in big trouble.

‘Dear Demetri… the one who spoiled our fun too quickly right?’ he shrugs and walks another few steps.

You swallow hard ‘Can you please take a step back?’

His eyebrow cocked ‘Why? Am I scaring you? The all too powerful human pet?’

Alright, you were officially in deep sh!t. As the man stood a few inches away from you, his ominous posture towering well above you and his dark aura penetrating your own in a way you rather avoid for the rest of your life, you felt utterly powerless. If you didn’t have your restrainer on, you would be able to walk through this without a scratch, but right now, this possibility seemed rather far away. You were trapped; he had cornered you, your powers were useless and you couldn’t overpower him physically at all. Hell, you were a small shrimp in comparison to his bulky self.

Out of the corner of your eye, you see him raise his hand and tuck a stray lock of your hair behind your ear. His warm fingers grazed your skin, making your mind turn off all alarms. Terror froze you exactly where you were standing. Your mind screamed at you to move, to kick, to DO SOMETHING!

‘You see _____’ he purrs, leaning over to your ear and allowing his breath to fall on you as his body trapped yours even more against the cold window ‘I heard you when you asked for me over the phone. I waited, but once again you left me hanging. Out of all things, I absolutely **hate **being played with. So I decided to lure you here to play some of my own **games.**’  
  
  


_ **~ ~ * * ~ ~** _

  
  
  


Demetri was pacing up and down the reception desk.

His hair was for the first time in complete disarray, since the man had lost count of how many times he passed his hand through them as he waited for you to come back.

Minutes had turned to hours and the more the vampire saw the time fly by, the more his worry about your well-being was magnified. How many times he had paced up and down the place, he seriously did not know. How many times he breathed out or simply seized to breathe at all in the slightest of sounds that may signal you were back, he still didn’t know. All he knows, all he wishes, is for you to come back as soon as possible. Today had dawned with a pretty serious feeling of dread turning his stomach upside down; of course, vampires never felt uncomfortable with their bodies from the moment they were turned, but after so many centuries Demetri was not feeling well.

He was scared.

Utterly scared that something was about to happen.

And when you told him so innocently, so nonchalantly that you were going out with Valentina, he cursed the first sunny days of spring inside his mind. It would have been better for him to ease his worries if he escorted you, but unfortunately, he was unlucky.

Thus, here he is now, waiting for your return as if his whole life depended on it. Felix had come to him to ask if everything was okay but Demetri never replied with anything more than a low growl; the tall man soon took the hint all the problems Demetri was having was simply because of you, so he decided to leave the man alone. No one other had even dared to disturb him. His dark aura must have been hanging over him like a thunder cloud.

Eventually, Demetri heard the entrance door open.

Relieved beyond even his own comprehension, he averts his eyes immediately to the door, waiting to see you smiling and laughing –a spectacle he had grown to adore- only to see Valentina walking inside with her hands filled with shopping bags.

She was alone.

‘Where is _____?’ Demetri asked, his voice grim and threatening.

Valentina looked up to him and offered him a bright smile, with her brown eyes shining brightly under the lights ‘Hello Demetri!’ she winked at him, a pathetic excuse of flirting ‘I’m afraid miss ____ had an urgent matter to attend to, she will be back in a few hours.’

Pure rage coursed through the vampire’s veins ‘Where is she?’

His voice boomed inside the empty room. It reverberated like a gunshot and managed to make the obnoxious human jump out of fear right where she was standing. The previous chatty and playful aura completely abandoned her in a mere instance when she looked upon the raging Demetri, only to see the man ready to snap; his hands were balled into fists, his jaw was tightened to the extreme in an obvious attempt not to use his teeth against her and his eyes where devoured by the bloodlust making his mouth water. He wanted to see her blood painting the beige walls surrounding them. If she did not speak immediately, he would force the truth out of her with violence. Violence not even Caius would ever dare use.

But once Valentina utters the next sentence, earth is lost under the vampire’s feet.

‘She is with mister Luce Martelo. He wanted to see her, so I took her to him to surprise her.’ She whispered carefully, her bottom lip quivering in fear.

Valentina was always pushing her luck from the moment she stepped foot inside the castle. Making mistakes on purpose and flirting with every male vampire she could lay her eyes upon, she was surely messing with their limits. Demetri managed to bear her; despite her pathetic attempts to throw herself on him and the cold way with which she was treating you, he did manage to bear her the best he could. Hearing the words the lewd woman had just uttered though, Demetri lost his control. He lost his careful attitude and composed self completely surrendering to his anger. Valentina never even realized when earth disappeared under her feet as she was flung to the opposite wall, back hitting it so hard it produced a loud scream of pain from the human woman as Demetri pinned her on the wall with one hand. His grip tightened even more around her fragile neck, making her choke loudly as the vampire let out a penetrating, animalistic growl making the ground shake under their feet.

‘What. Did. You. Do?!’ he growled, fangs bared and eyes turning into two raging flames.

Valentina choked.

‘WHAT. DID. YOU. DO?!’

‘I-I’ she choked as Demetri loosened his grip just a bit to enable her correct inhale. By now, tears were streaming down her pathetic face and loud sobs erupted from her chest.

Sobs of utter terror.

Good.

‘I-I got a call from mister Martelo the other day.’ She cried out, voice turning high-pitched ‘He told me he and miss _____ were good friends but no matter how many times he tried to visit her here, the couldn’t. So he asked me for a way to meet her now that he was staying in town and I suggested him meeting us while shopping around. He told me where he was staying and told me not to tell anything to miss _____ since he wanted to surprise her.’

Valentina kept talking, her mouth opening and lips’ moving but Demetri was too lost to even hear her. Instead, the man had went completely cold standing right there in the corridor, with the remains of his soul dying inside of him. Terror. Pure and merciless terror washed over the undead man, shaking him to the ground and freezing him on the spot. You were with Luce Martelo. The highly arrogant, power-hungry, vicious man that was capable of anything. Luce Martelo was the one helping out when a certain someone had to be killed and Aro believed he was too insignificant to be killed by the Guard. The man who had a reputation of being cruel with women, even among vampires. Demetri truly believed he had scared him away from you that night at the ball. He hadn’t. And now, the little fragile you was with him. All the possibilities of what he might do to you flooded Demetri’s mind mercilessly.

And Demetri finally snapped.

Anger. Lethal, raw and crudely animalistic rage boiled inside the man who turned into a beast right where he was standing. His eyes became two abyssal black lakes. Venom flooded his mouth. His fingers became steely sharp. A loud, terrifying growl of utter insanity erupted from his lips as the last traces of his sanity went out completely inside of him and the man was entirely engulfed by the darkness. All the bottled emotions he had kept under control carefully, not only had resurfaced, but utterly overwhelmed him, throwing him unto an insanity fit that was so rare and so against his under control character. All he could think of at that moment was one: you. Your fragile and beautiful self that had been taken away from him. Letting the beast take control.

Valentina was thrown on the cold, hard ground with power as the vampire beast standing in front of her let out another animalistic growl, making her scream out in terror. The vampire neared her, a deranged smile upon his face as he stepped on her leg, shattering the bone underneath. Valentina let out a bloodcurdling scream of pain. The vampire proceeded with stepping on her other leg. Someone screamed out towards the vampire, a voice belonging to a male that was utterly familiar, but the deranged beast payed no attention whatsoever as he raised his foot above the girl’s head…… the girl screamed….the vampire treasuring her screams, filing them deep inside his mind as trophies……before he stepped on her head with all the power his immortal body could offer him.

He didn’t even feel the bone shattering, but the girl stopped moving.

Out of nowhere, two iron vises wrapped around him as a much taller monster overwhelmed the beast. The vampire let out a hellish growl, hitting his feet against the ground and managing to catapult the other one over him to crash on the ground. Still, the impact wasn’t enough as the man quickly regained his composure; seeing that, the vampire leaned his torso down in a battle position, baring his threatening teeth and growling loudly towards the enemy. In a split second, they had charged against each other. Furniture, walls and every ornament that might have been inside the room were being destroyed by the fierce battle erupting inside the room with vampire versus vampire fighting to the death. One was trying to overwhelm the other one and stop his movements and the other one was as bloodthirsty as it was deranged; his mate had been stolen from him and put in harm’s way, so right now, everybody was the enemy. Loud thunder reverberated everywhere, produced by their colliding bodies as debris flew everywhere.

Felix had never seen Demetri lose it like that.

‘What is going on here?’

An authoritative voice broke through the commotion, managing to make both vampire and beast seize with their advances immediately. It was their master who had walked inside the room; Aro himself. The First Master unquestionably had heard the battle raging and had rushed to see what was going on with Alec and Heidi escorting him for protection; only to see Demetri who was utterly a beast and Felix fighting. Both vampires seized their advances once they saw their master and Felix took the opportunity to grab a hold around Demetri and prevent him from moving. Demetri immediately resumes his animalistic ways taking by surprise even Aro himself.

‘Demetri stop! Explain what is happening! Why is Valentina dead?!’ Aro demanded to know, voice booming loudly.

‘HE HAS HER! HE HAS TAKEN HER!

‘Who took who? Calm down and explain yourself!’

Master Aro’s voice shook the beast back to Demetri’s mind, allowing his consciousness to light up again and realize what was going on. Felix was holding him in a headlock, his friend being utterly battered. Aro and Alec were looking at him both alarmed and worried about what was going on and Heidi was looking at him with her mouth half open in awe and her eyes clearly overwhelmed by sheer surprise. None of them had **ever** seen him like that; not even Demetri himself.

‘You may kill me for killing her Aro’ he nodded towards Valentina’s corpse ‘But I will take it. Because she led ______ to Luce Martelo. Right now, ______ is somewhere alone with him.’

In the sound of his words, the whole room rioted. Aro’s eyes opened wide in total shock upon the realization. Alec looked positively terrified. Felix released him immediately and swore whatever swears could muster up loudly.

‘We have to find that son-of-a-bitch.’ Felix growled deranged.

‘He mustn’t have taken her far.’ Alec walked close to them, anger lacing his words and childish face.

‘SILENCE.’ Aro yelled.

The whole room fell silent.

‘I will bring her back.’ Demetri declared, gazing steadily upon Aro.

‘If he touched her in any way’ the Master spoke gently ‘Punish him accordingly.’

Demetri didn’t wait for another word. He was already racing out of the castle.

In the blink of an eye, his inhuman speed had taken him out of the castle and into the busy night. It was still too early and the people of Voltera were still roaming the streets tangling their scents with one another; Demetri inhaled and with terror realized your scent was too faint to follow. Instead, another scent, far inferior to your own reached his nose, making him shrink it in utter disgust. It was Valentina’s scent: grass mixed with lemon. Disgusting, but eventually what would lead him to you. Paying no attention to the humans whatsoever, he leaped on one of the nearby rooftops of some random house, landing perfectly on his feet before he started racing through town, following the scent closely. Thoughts of you, thoughts of Martelo, thoughts of what he might be doing to you were constantly putting his mind under siege, threatening to throw him off balance and surrender him to the darkness. But something like that would stall him even more and the vampire decisively pushed them away from his mind.

Until he came to a stop on a certain rooftop.

He was right across the hotel La Locanda; this is where Luce Martelo must be staying since Valentina’s scent ended here. But where were you? Clenching his jaw, Demetri uses his hearing to locate you. At first, he can hear chatter and conversations, but pushing them all aside his mind freezes when two particular sounds come from the lit window right across from him. A flittering heart, muffled screams of pain and lustful moans.

The window shatters into billion little pieces as Demetri’s body passes right through it, scattering broken glass everywhere around the floor. Cold air penetrates the room, as the man scans the whole place up until he finds you.

And the whole world stops.

You were lying on the soft mattress of the bed. At first it was the only thing Demetri’s mind accepted to analyze, but as reality came to slap him across the face, he –a 1000 year old vampire- was horrified. Tears were coming out in abundance from your bloodshot eyes, staining your majestic face as you tried to scream out, your mouth tapped shut as you sobbed violently. Your hands were forced down by one other hand and your dress was pulled upwards, revealing the lower part of your body with someone standing among your legs. Luce Martelo was leaning over you, his hand tightly pushing your own two downwards as his other one was reaching inside of your lower parts as the man prepared to do the ultimate move to hurt you irreparably.

Demetri lost it yet again.

His hands grabbed and iron hold of Luce before he tore him as far away from you as possible. The young man struggled to stand on his own two feet as you struggled to cover yourself up and pulled the tape off your mouth, allowing your screaming sobs to fill the room. Upon hearing them, Demetri released a loud, thunderous growl and before Luce had the chance to protect himself –not that he actually could-, Demetri’s hand had pierced through his ribcage, grabbing his heart and coming out of the other side.

‘I will make sure to send this to your father.’ He whispers as Luce chokes on his own blood and with Demetri removing his hand, he falls down on the floor. Dead.

Letting out a breath he didn’t know he was holding, the man turns to look at your crying form. Deep blue bruises adorned your thighs and neck, while you had thrown the white sheets around you in a desperate try to cover your bruised body up as you sobbed your heart out. Out of a cruel play of Fate, you reminded Demetri of an angel who had fallen from grace. You looked so vulnerable, so weak and wounded as you lay there, clasping the sheets for dear life and crying your life away.

If Demetri still had a beating heart, it would have stopped.

He takes a single step towards you; maybe he could comfort you in a way, but your voice stopped him.

‘Do not touch me.’ You screamed, raising your hand to keep him away ‘I do not want anyone to touch me.’

Demetri complied wordlessly but his eyes stung with the tears that would never come.

This was his entire fault.


	32. Chapter 29 Just Hold Me

All you did was cry.

Stumbling on your very own feet, you had wrapped Demetri’s coat over your fragile body the best you could as you stepped out of the car right in front of the clock tower of Voltera. Your bare feet were coming in contact with the surprisingly warm pavement as you walked up to the door, avoiding touching anything and anyone as you did. The air all around you seemed warm out of the sudden, or maybe it was your own coldness that made the air warm. Whatever it was, your eyes simply could not stop shedding tears of terror mixed with pure sorrow as you averted your gaze away from the guards; you did not want to see the pity in their eyes as you walked inside, you didn’t want to see what happened to you reflecting in their eyes. It was all a dream; it was all just a nightmare you would soon wake up from. Only that your bruised body and your aching heart proved it otherwise.

Luce had slapped you across the face with everything he had. Everything had gone black for just a moment and the next thing you knew, was that you were being pulled upwards by your hair and tossed carelessly on the bed. Screams never left your lips since when you tried to release them, you found your lips safely taped together, leaving no room for even breathing as Luce climbed over you with a wicked grin plastered across his face. It was utterly sick; only by looking at it you wanted to vomit and bleach yourself to cleanse the miasma which fell on your skin like dirt. It was at that very point your survival instincts kicked in; without spending a single second, you started tossing and turning and kicking and punching and trying to hit the vile man in any unprotected spot he had. Some of the punches did find him and at some point you did kick him where the sun doesn’t shine. Alas, this only seemed to infuriate him. With one big hand, he grabbed a hold of your two own and pushed them down above your head as his other one reached to spread your legs open. At that point, your mind went blank and you tossed so hard around, bruises appeared both on your wrists and on your thighs in the man’s try to get between them. One slap across the face seemed to do the trick. The next thing you knew was his fingers burying themselves deep inside of you.

Nightmare. You were inside a nightmare. Otherwise how could things like that be happening to you? Why were you ever punished like that, from the moment you did nothing bad? Luce attacked your neck, your breasts and your legs even more and you simply wished for the torture to end, you simply wished to just pass out and never resurface ever again. Only the blackness would offer you an escape from this sickening nightmare. His touch was hard and uncaring. His kisses were painful. And you could do nothing to save yourself. You were vulnerable. You were weak. You could do nothing but watch.

And then Demetri had come to your rescue…

Walking up the stairs you wait not for the Volturi tracker to catch up with you, only feel his weary gaze burning your back as he followed you inside, trying to keep his distance after you had ordered him not to touch you –he only dared offering you his coat to further cover you up- and make sure you were okay. You were not okay. You would never be okay again. No one would touch you; no one would ever dare look at you from now own. Because if they did, they would make all the memories resurface. Even more than now. Now that everything seemed like a dream, like every single one of them looking at you was Luce. The vile man who respected nothing, the vile man who tricked you into the most terrifying nightmare you had ever encountered. Even fighting James a hundred times would be a choice you would make willingly for the rest of your life in return for this.

All you felt was disgust. You felt disgusting and violated.

‘_______! _____ what happened?!’ gentle yet cold hands wrapped around your bruised arms as you entered the reception area and the comforting aroma of cinnamon mixed with

apples reaching your nose to blur everything out.

Trying to focus your gaze on the beautiful yet childish face gazing upon yours with nothing but worry, your numbed brain recognizes a very worried Alec holding you by your arms, trying to shake you into alertness. His face was nothing more but a scared and concerned mask, gazing deep inside your eyes to find out what had happened to you; only to see dullness looking back at him. But as you do recognize the young boy, all you could do is wrap your hands around him for dear life and pulling him into a bone-crushing hug, you sob violently against his chest, allowing your tears to stain his clothes. Immediately, the boy wraps his hands around you protectively, kissing your head tenderly and cooing you to calm down as the crying fit enveloped you completely.

‘Shhh, it’s going to be alright.’ He coos, gently and carefully caressing your hair ‘We have you now, you are safe. He can’t hurt you anymore.’

‘…P…Please…Alec…’ you pleaded through teary eyes ‘…Take me away…from here…’

‘I will. Just calm down and breathe _____. I’m going to take you somewhere safe.’ The boy says.

Feeling his hands detach from your back, the vampire boy scoops you up with no problem at all, turning his back at everyone else and walking down the brightly lit corridor. Throwing your hands around his neck, you hide your face in his black robes, trying the best you could to inhale deeply and calm down. It was soothing to be around him surprisingly; his childish aura and innocence wrapped all around him like a veil of light enveloping your darkened self along with him. It chased the hurt and uncleanness away from you and allowed your heart to take a few beats that were calm, after what seemed like eons of racing pain. The numbness of your mind seemed to subside, leaving your thoughts clear and calm once again, able to form coherent words and images unrelated to what happened to you a few hours back. Alec spoke a few words along the way, asking you if you were feeling okay or in any way light-headed, as well as vowing not to leave your side at all this night. Or any night if you wanted him to stay by your side. His childish determination to keep you at the best of shapes made new tears well up in your eyes at the thought of the volume of devotion this child was displaying towards you; he was like a younger brother who wanted to protect you from everything bad in this world.

The moment you walked through the medical wing, Alec gently lays you against a medical bed and you see many doctors rush up to you in order to make sure you were okay and perform some examinations on you to evaluate the situation. As one of them –a fifty year old woman- advised you calmly to open your legs for her to properly examine you, Alec discretely turns to face you completely, smiling carefully down at your form as he takes your hand carefully in his own and rests his cold hand against your forehead. Offering you the all-too-needed coldness to calm down.

‘I….I’m so sorry Alec……….I couldn’t…do anything to stop him….’ You choke out, your voice hoarse and paining you.

‘Shhhh, it’s okay. We got to him first before he did anything nastier to you.’ he smiled down to you ‘We always have your back now, don’t we?’

You nod sheepishly ‘I….I know….’ You swallow hard ‘What happened to….Valentina..?’

Alec’s eyes darkened ‘She was punished on the spot. Demetri made sure about it himself.’

In the sound of Demetri’s name, a warm feeling spread through your heart; it was warmth along with pain ‘Demetri saved me……Saved….me…’ you simply couldn’t believe it.

It wasn’t just being unable to comprehend how the man had found you; that was easy to guess. What messed with your mind was the single fact that Demetri had come after you. He had actually come to your rescue, ripping Luce away from you and doing everything he could to ensue you would be alright. He didn’t push himself on you but rather offered you his silent care, which for the first time seemed deeper than just your fooling around in the hallways. He sincerely looked absolutely mortified to see you like that; because you had seen him. You had seen the look of absolute pain flashing through his handsome face as you screamed at him not to touch you, not to get close to you or even look at you and you could see the remorse burning him alive from the inside out. Remorse of not being there to protect you. Of not saving you earlier. But in the end of the day, you knew it was simply his duty to keep you alive…

Alec caresses your forehead once again, drawing your attention as the boy’s eyes melted into two ruby red orbs of absolute remorse ‘Demetri came to find you alone _____. He actually flipped when he heard you were taken. I have never seen him like that.’

‘Like how?’ you ask, eyebrow arcing above your eye in question.

‘He attacked Felix _____.’ The boy blurted out ‘In his attempt to come find you, he flipped out so much, he attacked Felix when he tried stopping him. At first we didn’t know what was happening and Demetri was in no state to clarify things as well.’

In Alec’s words, your mind falls into a state of disbelief. It was rather strange for Demetri to actually lose his calm composure and surely you had never seen that happening in all the time you had been here. You wanted to ask Alec for more information, but as the doctor wrapped you up and advised you to get a good night’s rest, reassuring you that you were a tough cookie to crack and the damage Luce made was not major or destructive in any way, Alec picked you up once again like a princess and carried you all the way back to your bedroom. Right now, you wanted to leave this hellish night behind. Right now, all you wanted to do was gulp down the sleeping pills you were given and surrender yourself into a dreamless sleep.

And you would do just that.

Taking a quick shower –in which you rubbed your body with your sponge so hard you could actually see your skin turn bright red- you dry off quickly and make your way towards your bed, only to find Alec already lying against your pillows. Sitting beside him on the comfortable bed, none of you even bothers with turning the lights on as you pop the pills in one go and carefully tug yourself under the fluffy covers. Alec wraps his hands around you protectively, making sure you were comfortable enough to fall asleep; he was completely oblivious to the fact that his presence alone was enough to calm you down.

‘You will stay through the night right?’ you ask gently, trying to keep your voice from cracking as Alec kissed the top of your head.

‘Sleep well _____.’ He says and you can practically hear the silent determination in his voice ‘I’m not going anywhere my human sis. I’ll keep the monsters away.’

With a small sigh, the first one to actually help you ease the burden of tonight’s events, you close your eyes.

Sleep envelopes you immediately, pulling you into soothing dreamland.

When the next morning light welcomed you, your sleepy eyes could see the rain hitting the windows on a great scale, diminishing the great view you had over the city of Voltera. Strangely enough, you had slept soundly through the whole night, gently resting against Alec’s cold form, with the boy not daring to move at all in case he woke you up.

Now that you were up and about though, you look onto his childish face to greet him with a small, careful smile.

‘Good morning.’ You whisper as the boy’s eyes glisten with excitement at your relaxed self.

‘Good morning to you too _____.’ He kisses your forehead ‘Slept well?’

‘Like the dead probably. Those pills they gave me did the trick.’ You simply shrug, throwing the covers to the side and standing up, walking to your wardrobe in order to get ready for the day.

Passing by your floor mirror, for a split second you get a whole view to your pale and tired image; your eyes seemed to have grown completely dull over a single night, while millions of blue bruises adorned both your thighs and your neck, in a gruesome pattern that made you utterly sick. Immediately, you look away as if your image alone had burned you.

Alec follows your every move with his red eyes, his expression remaining neutral but you knew him a bit well to realize he was probably thinking about something. After last night’s incident –which flooded your mind the moment you opened your eyes today, with you stubbornly trying to keep it away- Alec seemed unusually quiet and reserved given his bright attitude. Something was bothering him and you opened your mouth to question him about it, but the boy gave you no opportunity to voice your thoughts.

‘_____ can you please answer me a simple question?’ he asks, averting his innocent eyes on you as you fished a blouse out of your drawers.

‘Sure.’ You shrug calmly, trying to guess what he would say but failing miserably.

‘What is going on between you and Demetri?’

As clear as the question was, it surely hit you out of nowhere. As the words leave Alec’s mouth and flow on the air towards you, your mouth falls open and the most vivid shade of red paints your (s/c) cheeks revealing all of your emotions to the little boy. You watch in horror as realization flashes through Alec’s eyes and you try desperately to defend yourself; only that since your heart had begun to run a true marathon, pounding hardly against your chest, you knew it would be a futile attempt to try and hide from the teenager. But you were definitely not going down without a fight.

‘I-I don’t know what you mean..’

Alec chuckles ‘That blush says otherwise. And since Demetri paced up and down the hallway outside your room all night long, I thought that there must be something going on between you two. It’s okay though. I understand if you do not like sharing your thoughts.’ He says and leans back at the pillows, folding his hands behind his head with a pleased smirk.

But you ignore it ‘Demetri was out there all night?’

‘Yep.’ Alec nodded.

Well that was a first. Never would you have thought that the man would actually do something like that, so discovering it now, it made a huge cat-like grin spread over your lips and light up your face. Demetri had stayed right outside your door to make sure everything was okay with you. He was worried; he was genuinely worried about your well-being and that was something that made your heart pound loudly and butterflies twirl around inside your stomach, sending wild shivers up and down your spine. It made you happy. Genuinely happy. Even if you pushed him away yesterday.

‘Say Alec.’ You speak up out of nowhere, turning your gaze to meet with the boy’s own as you twirled your thumbs uncomfortably while biting down on your bottom lip ‘Let’s just say you like someone; she doesn’t know it yet, and you surely haven’t told her but both of you are actually drawn to each other. Like a lot. Yet, you yell at her even if it wasn’t her fault but because you were scared and in pain. What would you do then?’

Alec seemed to ponder over it for a minute before inhaling a slow breath ‘I would apologize to her. Nothing is better than a sincere apology sometimes.’

‘Huh…. Like that?’ you ask.

He nods ‘Like that. So you want me to call Demetri so you can apologize?’

No, your furious blush before was nothing compared to the one spreading on your face right now as you rushed to deny everything.

‘NO!’ you exclaimed but then bit down on your lip and averted your gaze to anyone but him ‘......Well……yeah…’

Alec smiled as he stood up ‘Does it feel better now that you admitted it?’

You sigh ‘A bit..’

‘I’ll call him.’ He said and disappeared.

As soon as you were all alone, you let out a breath you did not know you were holding. Now it was finally the moment of truth and sincerely, you hoped you had the guts to face the man who saved you on numerous times and tell him what you had to. You wanted to apologize; it was of major importance to ask for his forgiveness because you had treated him unfairly and this was not acceptable. You wanted everything to be okay with Demetri. You wanted him close. And for first time in your life, you would say the truth. Determination courses like hot iron through your veins as you stomp out of your bed room, setting your mind on going to find him yourself, but Demetri is already waiting for you on your living room, his tall figure standing wordlessly in the middle of the room, filling it even more with plain beauty.

God, despite the worried expression he wore, he was as breathtaking as the first day you met him. Like a personified dream of Paradise. He once again took your breath away.

At his sight, your feet come to a stop by themselves and you are left unable to speak or think for a split second, simply remaining there to gaze upon the man you shared so many kisses with; the man causing an insatiable fire of wanting inside your heart, taking your breath away and polluting your mind and dreams with nothing but his own presence. He had polluted you already; eating away your brain, your reason, stealing your heart and replacing it with a hot fire which burnt only for his touch. Which lusted over his touch. Did he really have any idea what he had awakened inside of you? If he did, would he be so calm or worried as he looked upon you right now? Would you be able to stop yourself from completely surrendering to him? Did you even want to stop?

‘Alec said you needed to speak with me.’ Demetri simply observed, averting his gaze guiltily to any other surface but you, making a sting of pain shoot through your heart.

‘Yeah.’ You admit, taking a step towards the glorious man who was even more beautiful when he wore that regretful expression ‘I wanted to apologize.’

‘For what? There is nothing you need to apologize for.’

You nodded negatively, taking another step. He noticed, but did nothing.

‘I yelled at you last night. It was unfair of me; you only wanted to comfort me. Make sure I was alright.’ You simply state the obvious, watching him as his eyes flooded with regret and sorrow he tried to push back with everything he had; yet, he could not escape your watchful eyes or sharp attention; you had shared a lot up until now for him to hide away like that.

‘I am the one who should apologize _____’ Demetri’s voice drowned in regret as he swallowed hard before continuing, sounding more and more distant with each word he uttered ‘I left you unprotected and you got hurt. What would have happened if I arrived a minute later? That monstrous man would-‘

Demetri never had the chance to finish his sentence. He never really had the chance to realize what the hell was going on; all he saw, was you lunging against him with a determined expression painting your face before your hands wrapped around him so hard, it would have knocked air out of his lungs if he was still human. Instead of paying attention to small details like that –like the detail he felt like an ice cold statue under your skin- you hugged the immortal man with everything you had, taking him completely by surprise as you buried your face on his chest and wrapped your hands on his back for dear life, feeling your heart accelerate inside your chest like a drum. It was the only thing you could do; words would have never been even remotely enough for you to express how remorseful you felt for leaving him torture himself with thoughts like that. It wasn’t his fault. It was surely not his fault that you got hurt; it was your naivety that did the trick. So hearing him now, utter those words as if he was the one to betray you was utterly shredding your heart to pieces and you would be damned if you let him continue like that. Thus, you only did the single thing you knew would speak a thousand words yet utter none.

You hugged him.  
Hugged the immortal vampire with all the power your mortal body could provide you with.

‘Please, please don’t say things like that.’ You whisper tears bubbling on the edges of your eyes ‘I promise you, I will never leave your side again.’

All Demetri did was hug you back.

He wrapped his hands around your fragile, warm frame and pulled you against his cold, perfect body with just enough power to prevent crushing you; he wanted to pull you even closer. You knew out of the way he buried his face in the nape of your neck, by the way his one hand wrapped desperately around your waist while the other one tangled inside your hair, nailing your form against his sturdy own as if he was trying so desperately not to let you go and you kept slipping out of his grasp. It was as desperate, as it was filled with wanting. Your bodies cupped perfectly with one another, as if they were always meant to be one; not two.

‘I will protect you with everything I have _____. I vow not to let anyone hurt you ever again. Το ορκίζομαι στην αθανασία που τρέχει μέσα μου…’ he whispered the last words in another language altogether; maybe it was Greek, maybe not, but it gave a whole different weight on his words which resonated straight with your heart.

Gently, you raise your head and Demetri cups his lips above yours.

If he could make you shiver with a single touch, if he made your knees weak with the lustful kisses you had shared in the past, the kiss you shared right now was more than simply enough to blow your mind away. Your lips pressed against his with power before they half opened and his tongue slipped inside your mouth, exploring and claiming it as his own, in the most maddening and intoxicating kiss you had ever shared. The world around you along with its worries and troubles seized to exist completely and both of you were the only beings left for a few amazing moments. Your heartbeat had become one continuous hum and your senses gave out under his divine taste and aroma blurring the lines of your reality. Demetri tightened you more against his body and you sighed contently inside the kiss.

Right then, your whole soul exploded.

And you realized there was no going back from right here onwards.

Because as your very soul reached out to touch the dark angel kissing you passionately with everything he had, you realized there was really no salvation for you. It was an end game for you from the very first time you met the majestic man; you could no longer hide it from yourself.

You had fallen completely and irreparably in love with Demetri.

And there was no going back from that.

When you eventually break the kiss, Demetri rests his hands on both sides of your burning up face, smiling smugly; he was relieved though, you knew it by simply looking at him.

‘Give me a moment.’ He said.

In the moment you needed in order to blink, the man had disappeared from right in front of you and almost immediately, clutter sounds started coming from your bed room as someone was rummaging through your stuff fast. You turned to walk towards it in order to see what Demetri was doing, your knees still weak and your heart in a complete disarray, only to see the man emerge from your room, suitcase filled with stuff on his right hand.

‘Can you explain what is going on?’ you ask, folding your hands over your chest in a desperate attempt to calm down.

Demetri winked at you shamelessly ‘We are going to leave Voltera for a few weeks. There is something important we need to do.’

In his words, you roll your eyes and sigh ‘Of course. The mission. How did I ever forget? Are Felix and Alec ready?’

To your complete surprise, Demetri nods deviously ‘No. This time, it’s only going to be you and me.

Your eyebrow arcs ‘This seems promising.’


	33. Chapter 30 Things I Lost

‘Not that I don’t like a good surprise, but where the hell are we going if the flight lasts that long?’

‘Patience is a virtue _____. It would not be a surprise if I told you, now would it?’

‘Have I ever told you I hate it when you do that?’

‘You are crushing my heart.’ Demetri laughed.

‘Good then.’ You pout, folding your hands over your chest and averting your gaze out the window.

The bright sun had just started his dive into the distant horizon, painting the clear sky with bright orange and red colors; the lazy clouds spread in a seemingly concrete wall under you as the small jet easily navigated itself above them and slid on the air calmly. After your heated kiss with Demetri and the declaration of your departure, you had spent the rest of the noon making sure you had everything you needed and your obligations were taken care of. To your astonishment, Demetri had packed your suitcase perfectly, with both light and a bit heavier clothes, something which gave you no clue as to where you were going. Still, you had given him the gift jacket you had bought him and the expression of pure surprise flashing through his face as he thanked you was your reward. That and the fact he wore it immediately, with the black fabric pointing out his well-built but lean figure perfectly.

Not that you stared at him, of course not.

Nor did you drool.

Nope.

Now, both of you were sitting on the comfortable armchairs the jet had to offer, facing each other as your legs rested on the arm of Demetri’s chair. The immortal man was paying no mind to them at all, leaning back casually and grinning at your annoyed face like a huge cat. Only infuriating you more. He made it hard for you to stare angrily out the window as you too leaned your head on your left hand. Once in a while you would catch yourself returning to gaze at him, only making you mentally kick yourself.

‘Is this how we are going to spend our time here?’ Demetri laughs, making you let out an exaggerated sigh.

‘You have any better ideas?’

Demetri grins deviously and a dark shadow passes from his eyes ‘Few ideas come in mind.’ He comments, pretending to be indifferent; you were not that naïve though.

‘Don’t even think about it. And keep your dirty thoughts to yourself.’ You bark, but your body betrays you when a faint blush covers your cheeks.

‘You would enj-‘

‘I’ll kill you if you end this sentence.’ You interrupt him, glaring straight onto him, ready to tear him in half even if the restrainer was on ‘I swear; I’ll kill you.’

‘Here I was, thinking you wouldn’t be grumpy today.’

Demetri chuckles raising his hands in mock surrender as you still glare, but your mind decides to clearly see what was in front of you. There was something wrong with Demetri. Your eyebrows furrow lightly above your eyes as you focus on the man’s glorious face; dark circles seemed to have appeared under his eyes that were now a deep shade of black. It was rare to see Demetri with black eyes and adding the dark circles, you knew something was wrong. As well as the fact he appeared a bit grayish; usually, his skin was a perfect white shade, but right now, it appeared a bit grayish.

‘It is impolite to stare _____.’ Demetri gently coos.

You ignore him ‘How long has it been since you last fed?’

By the look Demetri gave you, it was as if you had just grown another head. His lips half opened but no answer came your way as you stared expectantly, knowing you had hit bull’s-eye. Truth be told, you had spend a little more time with the Cullens so you could easily tell the difference with when a vampire was well-fed and being inside the Castle, you surely saw not a single vampire malnourished at all. Heidi was making sure that no one would even feel remotely hungry. Demetri though, surely did not think up until now that you knew the difference to begin with. Which only gave you a small victorious smile.

‘I know the difference’ you rush to explain ‘Alice and Rose turned like that when they were hungry and near me for too long.’ You simply shrug.

‘I haven’t fed in a while.’ Demetri admits lowly ‘I had more urgent matters to attend to; between saving you and kissing you, there was no time for petty things like that.’ He winks.

You chuckle amused ‘Thank God I have my barrier up then right?’

Demetri stares evenly ‘Your Distorter heritage does aid, but I would never bite you without your consent; that goes as far as if it is not about saving you.’

His words generate a question inside your mind ‘Is Distorter blood any different from other humans’ blood? Or is it the same?’ you ask, folding your hands under your chest and watching him as he gave it a thought before answering.

‘If I could describe it’ Demetri commented ‘I would say it is almost always sweeter than other humans’ blood. Yours for example smells like pure vanilla extract and I can only imagine how sweet it must be. But other than that, it is exactly the same.’

‘Wait’ you interrupt him ‘If you know the difference, then you must have tasted it right? You haven’t bitten me as far as I know, so how on earth do you know?’ you ask, leaning forward in your armchair with interest.

By now, darkness had infiltrated the plane cabin and both you and Demetri were bathed in the silver moonlight prevailing outside; as Demetri leaned backwards in his chair you could barely see him clearly but you knew too well that he could see every little expression of you. Which was unfair since you couldn’t read him at all. Luckily for you though, it seems as if the man hears your thoughts and leans forward to rest his elbows on his knees before he rests his chin on his long fingers.

‘_____’ he breathes out your name, sending shivers down your spine with you desperately trying to hide how your heart accelerated once he spoke ‘Aro had been trying to track down Distorters since the Romanian fall. It was one of my very first commands the moment I decided to enter the Volturi Guard; Aro was –and is- obsessed with finding people like you and so far, I have been able to find three. Now that you are here, it makes it four Distorters in a thousand year time span. You cannot even begin to imagine how rare you all are.’

‘Aro said that I’m probably the last of them.’

‘And he is probably right. Believe me, I have turned the whole world upside down and found none other than the four of you; probably there is nothing to find altogether.’

Demetri gently shrugs as his eyes study you with each word he utters, making sure you would not flip out with what you were hearing.

Even like that though, you are more interested in finding more info than flipping out with the possibility you are the last of your kind –as you did when Aro talked to you.

‘Who was the first one you met?’ you innocently ask.

Demetri hesitates ‘You surely want to know?’

‘I do.’ You declare steadily.

He sighs ‘Alright then. I’ll start with the first one.’ He leans back, resting his hand loosely on your legs and proceeds to caress you over the fabric absentmindedly as he tried to pull the memories back from his mind. His eyes seemed to lose focus and for a split second, you sincerely believed he had forgotten when he finally speaks.

‘The first Distorter I came across was around 1300 AD in the Ottoman Empire. I was in the mountains of Greece, deep inside Pindos’s wild and dark forests. Aro had send me there to check a few vampires who helped a small village of Ottomans defend themselves against a raid and after making sure no rules were broken, I was returning home. It was broad daylight, the sun was high in the sky and I had decided to take a break near a river when I heard it. First, I heard her heartbeat; it was beating frantically and out of control, too fast for her own good. Then it was the running; she was running as fast as she could, her feet echoing like thunder. I stood on my feet, waiting for her to appear right across from me and surely enough, she did.’

‘She was barely your age; long blonde hair quite disheveled from the running and sharp brown eyes filled with terror. She was Greek; the moment she dashed out of the woods and came to a stop in front of the river inevitably seeing me, she screamed to her god to save her. Her aroma filled the place instantly; jasmine. Pure, clean jasmine scent. I had never smelled something like that. But she did not stop. The moment she saw me and screamed, she averted her gaze to her left and started running; there were others on her tracks. Others like me. At first, I would never chase after her. But as I simply watched her go, the most surprising thing happened. She ran straight towards the water and with a long jump, a water-jet rose to meet with her foot. And then another for her other one. The girl literally stepped on the water-jets, passing on the other side of the river like it was an everyday occurrence.’

‘I instantly knew what she was. Aro had informed me all about your clan so I had to chase after her and stop her. She continued to run and at some point, I saw some Romanian vampires running from the other side of the river; they were hunting her down. Focusing forward, I swore I would get to her first; but the more she ran the more she was coming close to a waterfall. I knew the place I was all too much; a fall from that high would instantly kill her. Yet the girl had other plans in her mind. As she neared the end of the river, she never stopped and jumped off the waterfall at full speed. She screamed loudly and her whole body transformed into water as she fell, connecting with the river and helping her survive the fall. But I had lost her for now.’

Demetri sighed as he leaned back once again ‘I wandered around for a few days, trying and managing to pick up her scent and track her down. Only that it was too late. Rumor had spread around that a few people caught some thieves and the Ottoman authorities had punished them far before I came to the village. Needless to say, when I arrived on the scene, I saw the blonde girl staked through her ribcage and hanged ten meters from the ground with the stake still dripping with her blood. Her name was Agathe and she was a Water Distorter. Barely fifteen years old.’

That…that… you had no words for that.

As Demetri concluded his story, all you could really do was simply stand there looking at the far-beyond bankly. Truth be told your mind simply denied processing the story, processing the cruel way with which the girl’s life had ended so abruptly. It was sickening and made you shiver in fear; you shook your head lightly. You needed to know more about the rest of them, you had to know. So pushing through your shock, you return Demetri’s steady gaze with your unsure own.

‘Go on.’ You usher him.

‘Are you sure? We can call it a night.’ He offers calmly but you nod.

‘Continue with the second one Demetri. Please.’

He keeps his gaze nailed on you, but does as you tell him ‘Anna Lagueux was the second Distorter I encountered. It was around 1860 in Paris and she could control fire. Anna was… a special and unique nature...’ He comments, looking away with a smile ‘She was, um, selling herself to men and had actually opened her own brothel; quite famous around Paris back then.’

You roll your eyes ‘We know Demetri, you shagged her. Go on with the story.’ You throw, a pinch of jealousy pricking your heart, but you ignore it.

Demetri laughs ‘I do admit we had an affair. I first met her when she caught me feeding off one of her girls and used her powers to trap me. She was a fierce French woman around twenty five years old with short brown hair and blue eyes. Her scent reminded me of peaches. Long story short, we had an affair for a whole year or so. Even if I knew Aro wanted her, I could not take her away without anyone noticing so instead, I stayed with her to keep an eye on her as I tried to convince her. She was the Distorter I fed off from and the one to teach me more about your kind and how their powers worked but in her case, she was utterly afraid of her gifts and refrained from using them if she had any other option. Due to that, they were quite untamable and more than often caused problems.’

‘What happened to her?’ you ask.

Demetri’s smile drops ‘I was away on a mission. Anna had some clients of the upper class with her but as the alcohol blurred her senses she lost control of her powers for a split second. The men saw what she could do and accused her of witchcraft. She tried to stop them but one of them hit her in the head with a candelabrum as the rest of them lit her room on fire. Quite ironic for a Fire Distorter to be burnt alive right?’

‘Poor her.’ You breathe out ‘She was unconscious as she died right?’

Demetri nodded ‘She was awake. She was terrified of the flames and never managed to use her powers to refrain them.’

‘Oh my God…’

‘That’s what the humans said when I hunted them all down.’ Demetri flashes you a dangerous grin.

‘And the third one?’ you ask, wanting to avert the conversation before all the grisly details are mentioned.

It seemed to work.

‘The third one was an Earth Distorter. Aro had been informed about his existence roughly around 1942 and send me on Stalingrad to retrieve him. He was a Soviet soldier in the army but unfortunately the moment I arrived to take him, the battle and siege started and I was unable to do anything but fight for the Russians. As we were in the battle field one day, he was shot in the head and died immediately; there was no time for me to change him. His name was William Zakharov and he was only nineteen years old. His scent was that of magnolias.’

‘So all of them pretty much died tragically. Doesn’t bring me hope to tell the truth.’ you admit, drowning down a yawn.

Demetri did not seem amused at all with your comment ‘Nothing is going to happen to you ____. I’m not letting you out of my sight.’

‘Promising.’ It was your time to wink at him before standing up and yawning ‘I’m going to crash. Don’t break anything while I’m gone.’

Demetri grins ‘Can I join you in bed?’

‘Absolutely not!’ you exclaim, surprise making you freeze like a deer in headlights as a blush adorned your face.

Demetri laughed, obviously pleased with himself but turning your back proudly to him, you walk off to the small bedroom in the back of the jet, closing the door behind you and plopping yourself on the comfortable bed. All the information Demetri provided you with still twirled into your mind as you lied down, with the images of each and every one of them plaguing your mind. For the strangest of reasons, their deaths seemed familiar -as if you had heard about them before- but you just couldn’t wrap your finger around it. Pushing the pestering thoughts away, you decide it is about time to get some rest. Who knows what awaits for you tomorrow. Might as well rest now that you can.

You were awakened by the sudden touchdown. The whole plane shook violently and as you opened your eyes, you were greeted by the bright light coming through the window. Eventually, the plane came to a stop and gathering your stuff, you meet with Demetri in the main cabin. Being completely exhausted after all the nightmares plaguing your dreams about people being burnt alive, staked or shot, you didn’t share Demetri’s excitement as the man was up and about, going as far as to place a small kiss on your forehead as he rested his hand on the small of your back, leading you outside.

The moment you step a single foot out of the small jet and raise your eyes to see the airport around you, earth is lost under your feet and you inhale a sharp breath, eyes growing as big as two dinner plates.

‘We are in Seattle?!’ you exclaim out aloud, turning your eyes to every possible corner in order to make sure your eyes were not deceiving you.

But there was no mistaking it. From the cloudy sky above your head, the smell of rain in the air and the huge letters welcoming you to the airport, you truly were back home. Failing to control your emotions and excitement, you cheer as you run around Demetri happily, with the man carrying both of your stuff on the brand new [BMW](http://www.bmw.co.za/content/dam/bmw/common/all-models/m-series/m4-coupe/2014/m4-gts/m4-gts-driving-large-teaser-.jpg/jcr:content/renditions/cq5dam.resized.img.1680.large.time1447949538576.jpg) M with a huge smirk adorning his face as he sees you happy beyond yourself; it was the second time Demetri saw smiles of pure and untainted happiness grace your beautiful face and there was nothing he would do to take it away from you. Suddenly, you looked exactly at your age; a young, 17 year old girl who had seen too much of the world’s cruelty and murder already. An innocent woman who was always able to tear down whole cities.

Demetri loved both sides of you.

‘Why didn’t you say anything?’ you ask as Demetri opens the car door for you and you sit inside.

‘I had been planning this trip for the past one and a half month, there was no way I would reveal it to you like that.’ He comments before closing the door and circling the car, he sits on the driver’s seat, turning the key in the ignition and starting the car with a soft buzz.

‘Are we going to see my father? God, he’ll be so happy!’ you say excitedly and in the thought of your father’s image, a warm feeling covers your heart and mind; it had been so long since you last saw him and you had really missed him. There were so many things you learnt and wanted to share them with him.

He would greet you with a huge smile; one of those he kept especially for you after a rough day at school and a smile able to brighten up your day. You would give him a big bear hug, before the man would comment about how much weight you had lost and the man who would be standing behind you. Demetri, even if he was a vampire, would be happily invited in and welcomed since your father was not a bigoted idiot like the rest of the Tribe. You would bombard him with questions he would answer as he would be making you hot coco and sitting down, he would hear all about your adventures.

You could hardly wait to see him!

You were brought back to reality when you realized Demetri was talking.

‘Your father will be happy to see you, I am sure. Your friends as well.’ He smiles at you calmly.

‘You will actually like my father. He is so kind and has the best jokes to say to light up your mood. Let’s just hope he won’t be at any meeting of the Tribe. And even if he is, we will kidnap him! Mark my words!’ you laugh.

_‘What a sound...’_ Demetri whispers ever-so-faintly, more to himself than to you, his eyes focusing on the empty road ahead of you as he stepped on the accelerator even more. You were not supposed to hear that… no, you weren’t. But you had and it made your smile brighten even more.

‘I am not so sure your friends will like me though.’ He comments truthfully, averting his gaze from the road to look at you ‘I know all about the wolves and so on, so I doubt your friends will be just as kind as your father.’

He was right. Embry, Jake and the rest of the wolves probably won’t take it lightly that not only a mere vampire, but a vampire belonging to the royal family is wandering around town with one of their own Tribe members along with him. Thinking about it, Embry would most probably flip but eventually grow accustomed to it while Jacob would simply flip out and that was it. You knew them all too well though to know they would do nothing to hurt you in any way and since you were practically a prisoner to the Volturi, hurting Demetri would result into hurting you as well. They wouldn’t do a single thing.

‘My friends will understand. They won’t hurt you so that you won’t hurt me in return but you should probably avoid interacting with them when I am not around. They aren’t too friendly with vampires; even the Cullens have a hard time.’

‘How about hurting you directly?’ he comments evenly, but you knew his tone had darkened a bit.

His question though pissed you off ‘They won’t lay a single finger on me Demetri. They are my family.’ You declare.

Demetri remained silent.

Deciding that the conversation is over and being a bit mad with him that he even implied the wolves would hurt you in any way, you turn the radio on and turn to gaze out of the window, pushing both Demetri and his snarky comments away from your mind.

You were actually back home. All the emerald colored trees surrounding and towering well above the road were so familiar to you, they actually made your heart grow warm and sweet memories of playing among them when you were little flooded your mind. Bittersweet memories making you realize just how much you had missed this place. Surely, Italy was magnificent and breathtaking in her own way but this is the place you grew up. This is the place you made friends, got hurt, loved and created your family. It was only natural for you to miss it with all of your heart and now that the emotions overwhelmed you, tears of happiness bloomed on the edges of your (e/c) eyes. In just a few minutes you would see your dear father. You would see Embry and Jacob and Bella and everything that made you, you. The humane stuff. And maybe, just maybe, it was a great thing Demetri was with you to experience the human condition from up close. He could be reminded of his human days as well.

Averting your gaze back to the man for a split second, you can’t help but admire how handsome he was.

It would be a joke to say you would ever be able to resist him; you couldn’t even remember how you did it in the beginning.

At some point, you saw Demetri’s hands grab a steely grip of the steering wheel, his knuckles turning white as a low growl erupted from his lungs.

‘What are they doing here?’ he spat with anger lacing his majestic voice, taking you by surprise by how quickly his mood changed. This must be something big.

Taking your eyes off from him, you turn your attention towards the open road ahead of you, but there is really nothing that could have angered the man; you were the only car on the vicinity and there was nobody else there. Demetri answers your unvoiced thoughts just before you turn to face him.

‘It is too far for your eyes to see.’ He simply says, puzzling you even more.

All of your questions are shortly answered though when you gaze at the end of the road once again, seeing the faint outline of two cars blocking the way through and five figures standing before them. Curiosity flooded your mind but as the car came closer and closer to them, your eyes opened wide with surprise. There, in the middle of the road were Edward’s Volvo and Embry’s car blocking the two way road ahead of you. And right before them, were standing five figures indeed. But not just anyone. Edward and Bella were standing in the very middle of the road, with Alice on their right and none other than Jacob and Embry on their other side. All five people were looking straight at you as you approached and you couldn’t help but stare at them, mouth half opened in awe.

Until Demetri stopped the car a few meters away from them.

‘Do not leave my side.’ Demetri whispered lowly so that only you could hear as he fiddled with your safety belt and released you, with you nodding sheepishly. It was never a good sign when Cullens and wolves united and if things decided to go sideways, you had better stick with Demetri.

Opening your door, you step out of the car.

‘What a nice surprise guys!’ you flash a warm smile to all of them, human-vampires-wolves, who looked at you expectantly, not answering your happy greeting. Your smile dropped.

Demetri was by your side in a split second though, stepping a single step in front of you and hiding you a bit away from the rest of them protectively. His movement might have been subtle and careful, but you still felt the side of your face burning off; looking up, you saw Embry looking at you. From all the years you knew the man, it was evident a battle was raging on inside his mind; his whole body was tense and his eyes danced between you and Demetri in a not so amused way. His aura though was not in the least dark; he wanted to greet you properly but couldn’t at the same time. To ease him, you offer him a wink. He almost smiles. Almost.

‘This is the kind of greeting you give your visitors Cullens? I imagined you being a tad more civilized.’ Demetri commented with a sly smirk, pretending to be innocent while his whole posture was as stiff as a statue’s; he was prepared for anything.

‘You don’t have to worry yourself _____’ Edward suddenly spoke to you, his golden eyes falling on your form as he gives you a reassuring smile ‘No one is going to get hurt; we only want to know why you are here.’

‘This is her home is it not? I brought her on vacations for a while. Are you willing to deny her that?’ Demetri gently waved indifferently with his hand.

‘Of course not douche!g. But _you bloodsucker _are not welcome here.’ Jacob snarls at Demetri, but before the man has the chance to retaliate, it was you who popped up.

‘Back off Jake.’ You exclaim ‘Demetri’s the reason I got here in the first place. He came along with me or else I would not come at all.’

‘He’s the one to keep you a prisoner too _____.’ Embry finally speaks up, his fists curled into balls as he tried to keep himself calm, glaring daggers at Demetri who only returned them.

‘_____ is right.’ Alice speaks up, taking a step toward the middle in order to pacify the blazing spirits around. Her pixy-like figure suddenly seemed petite and not able to stand her ground but you knew this was only a distraction to what she could really do ‘Demetri was the one to ask Aro to bring _____ here; I saw it in one of my visions.’

‘So what? Are we going to let him just stay here? He is one of the bad guys for f*ck’s sake!’ Jacob yells.

‘As long as I am here, I will not hurt anyone around town or your village. My hunting will take me far away, rest assured.’ Demetri commented.

‘Now you convinced us.’ Embry replied darkly.

‘I cannot stay here if he isn’t with me guys! Aro would call me back immediately.’

‘Why aren’t we giving them a break?’ Bella interrupted for the first time since you got there; a fire made her eyes light up but as soon as it appeared, it disappeared as the girl realized what she did and shied away.

‘I agree with Bella.’ Edward nodded ‘There is no reason not to let Demetri stay here as long as he doesn’t cause any troubles. ____ will make sure of that right?’

‘Of course I will. I’ll take full responsibility.’ You nod decisively, watching from the corner of your eye Demetri turn to offer you a cocky smile, making you roll your eyes.

‘Sam will not be happy with this.’ Jake argued.

‘He’ll deal with it; as long as we have ____ back, the werewolves will stay put for her sake. She is one of our own either way.’ Embry folded his hands over his chest and reprimanded Jacob who was obviously even more annoyed with his friend taking the vampire’s side but there was literally nothing else anyone could do. It was either you and Demetri leave, or both of you stay. And Embry would tolerate Demetri if that meant spending more time with you; Sam owed him a little peace of mind as well.

Smiling a bright smile to Embry who only returns it with a small smirk, you clasp your hands together happily ‘Since everything is settled, can we please go? I want to see my old man already and let him spoil me for a bit.’

Alice and Edward exchange a small gaze and Embry and Jacob stiffen visibly.  
You were about to question it, but Alice decided it was the perfect chance to jump happily towards you, taking your hands in hers with a huge cat-like grin lighting up her face. Demetri took a step aside now that everything was safe, allowing more space to the small vampire.

‘First things first _____! Carlyle and Esme want to see you and I swear Rosalie will melt the floor away if you don’t come see her now. Either way, Esme has made your favorite! (favorite) pie! We can go see your father afterwards!’ Alice chirped excitedly, her golden eyes growing slightly as she gazed into your (E/c) orbs.

Truth be told, you wanted to see your father first, but oh well, it wouldn’t take long right? The Cullens will surely want to know how you’ve been for quite a while; it was for their own sake you made the sacrifice of joining the Volturi after all. It was only natural they would want to see you. And from the looks of it, there was a huge explaining to do for your werewolf friends who were left in the dark for too long; you owed them a proper apology for disappearing like that. Especially towards Embry.

‘Alright then. Lead the way and we are right behind you.’ you smile and hug Alice with all your strength, trying not to shiver to her cold touch and winking deviously to Embry and Jacob who laugh.

All of you return to each of your cars and set off towards the Cullens’ residence, following Edward’s car. Right beside you, Demetri had grown silent; if he didn’t like the situation happening, he surely did not voice his thoughts, only calmly drove on, keeping his gaze steadily in front of him no matter how intensely you stared at him, mentally willing him to say something. Eventually, you realize it is utterly pointless to interrogate him now, so instead, you choose to ignore him the moment you arrived at your destination, following an almost completely hidden side road.

The Cullen house was surely the most amazing house you had ever seen and no matter how many times you had came over in the past to either have some fun with Alice and Rosalie, it always took your breath away. Made out of a combination of wood and metal, its design and huge window walls gave it a touch of luxury, even if you simply looked at it from the outside. The moment you were out of the car, you felt earth abandon you as someone picked you up and threw you over his shoulder with no difficulty at all. Demetri growled from somewhere behind you but loud laughs erupted as Jacob slapped your butt and Embry walked behind both of you, resting his hands on your cheeks and kissing your forehead as Jake carried you inside.

Familiar sounds and smells reached your ears and nose, the very same moment that a wave of calmness washed over you at the realization you were back home once again.

‘_____ you are finally here!’ a sweet woman’s voice broke you away from your laughing and teasing the two wolves.

Recognition flashed through your mind ‘Nice to be back, Esme! I will hug you as soon as Jake decides to stop being a pain in the ass!’

Jacob laughs and smacks your butt once again ‘You know what they say _____; they told me I could be anything, so I became a pain in the ass.’

‘Suits you quite well Jake. Now, bad doggie, put me down.’

Jacob lets you down on your feet and messes your hair playfully. Slapping his hands away, you give Esme a big bear hug. Carlyle and Emmett along with Rosalie and Jasper emerged from a nearby room as well, coming to greet the newcomers with Rose rushing to give you a small hug and a few relieved words and the rest of them eyeing Demetri carefully, with the man standing a bit further away from the rest but still seemed rather relaxed and calm. Of course, Esme lead you all to the main living room where the coffee table was filled with each and every snack or sweet you liked, along with a huge teapot. Hot steam was coming out and you suddenly realized how hungry you were; you hadn’t eaten anything all day. Strangely enough though, as all of you saw around, you noticed that the wolves felt rather relaxed as well; Jacob stuffed his mouth immediately with as much food as he could fit and Embry thanked Carlyle politely as he offered him a nice hot cup of tea. Choosing your spot, you sat right next to your wolves on the single armchair while Demetri chose the seat closer to you on the sofa on your right.

He was taking his jacket off when Jake who was observing him in a not so polite way almost choked on the cookie he was munching.

‘Nice jacket leech.’ He mocked Demetri who simply refused to dignify him with a response.

But you did.

‘You don’t like it Jake?’ you simply ask, sipping a bit of your tea nonchalantly.

‘If he was aiming for an old lady look, he nailed it. Don’t you agree ____?’ the wolf laughs his heart out as you stare at him blankly.

Nobody speaks but eventually, Edward laughs as he reads your thoughts.

‘I bought it for him Jacob.’

Jacob’s eyes grow big with surprise as he chokes yet again, with a very worried Bella asking him if he was okay and an annoyed Embry rolling his eyes as you calmly drink another sip, being fully aware of Demetri’s satisfied grin as he watched Jacob cough. You didn’t have to be Edward to know what he was thinking; his face betrayed it all. In the sound of his name, Edward meets his gaze with yours and you laugh before Embry draws your attention.

‘So you’re back once again ______? I mean, you’ll stay right?’ the man asks, his body leaning a bit towards you unconsciously.

Sadness flooded your heart at the sound of his hopeful words ‘We’re here for a few weeks; month at best. As long as there are no major missions, we’ll stay for as long as we like.’

‘Guess the Volturi have a new doggie now, right _____?’ Emmett laughs ‘I never thought you would be that kind of girl.’ He jokes as Rosalie offers him a light kiss on the cheek.

‘Haven’t heard the rumors now, have you Emmett? I’m the new big bad wolf now- it scares even the best of your own kind.’ You wink with a devious smile.

‘You don’t say.’ Emmett raises his eyebrow approvingly.

‘If it wasn’t for her, we would not have survived many missions. She is truly a sight to see when in fight.’ Demetri calmly informs them, speaking up for the first time since you came in here.

‘______ was always of great help; even when James was after Bella.’ Carlyle chimes in.

You laugh ‘If you ignore the fact I almost died back there.’

‘But you didn’t.’ the leader of the Cullen clan states simply.

‘If she is of help as you say Demetri, why the leash around her neck?’ Edward addresses the other vampire, making all eyes fall on you and the restrainer around your neck.

Suddenly, the gems adorning it seemed to weight a thousand pounds each under the heaviness of their eyes and your neck struggled to inhale a breath of fresh air; your hand flew to touch the cold choker with your worried eyes traveling to Demetri, who appeared to be utterly unaffected by the comment. On the other hand though, both Embry and Jacob seemed the least infuriated, their hands shaking as Embry stared at you and Jacob at Demetri threatenly. This was bad. This was really bad.

‘They put you on a leash?’ Embry demands to know, making you wince lightly; he was angry beyond himself and you had to do something about it before anybody got hurt. Anger was lacing and dripping from his every word and his eyes were piercing holes through your skull the more you remained silent and did not provide him with an answer.

So out of pure reflex, you grab his trembling hands in your two own, smiling and rubbing circles on his soothingly warm skin with your thumbs ‘It was only for my protection; the least I used my powers the lesser the chances of tiring myself out.’ You reassure him.

Embry didn’t seem to bite it at all though ‘Tell me they didn’t hurt you. Or I swear to God I’ll gut him right here, right now.’

His question caught you off guard. In the flash of a second, all the monstrous things that have happened to you –your first murders, your mortal injuries, the missions, the escape attempt and the dungeons, as well as the attempted rape by Luce- flashed through your mind completely unfiltered. A chain reaction with your heart was triggered, accelerating her beat and emptying your brain from all the right words that could pacify Embry. Instead, the horrors of what you had lived drowned everything out, making you swallow hard in order to suppress a wild shiver threatening to shoot down your spine and reveal everything to Embry who was looking deeply into your eyes. He was trying to read you; he was trying to see just how much his beloved one was altered when he was far away and unable to help. But you would rather die a horrible death than tell him the horrors that happened to you.

‘Don’t worry yourself Embry.’ You lean forward to press a kiss on his cheek ‘They treated me well.’

Edward’s gaze burnt the side of your face but looking at him right now would blow your cover to bits. You only ushered him mentally to play along with you and not scar your best friend for life. If anything, you owed Embry that. But it wasn’t only Edward who was staring at you; the moment you resumed your conversation with the others, you didn’t fail to notice Demetri calmly observing you from the side. Questions must have surely been burning inside his mind, but for the time being you would let them go unanswered.

Talking with the Cullens and your friends about your adventures the past five months in the side of the Volturi served to take your mind off from things. Feelings of calmness and reassurance were washing over you in steady waves, taking your mind off from things. Everyone seemed to be doing well and even Demetri had started talking with Carlyle quietly about the Masters back in Voltera, discussing about the time Carlyle was with them as well. Esme and Rose had done their best with the food and drinks, ushering you to eat to your heart’s content and commenting about how much weight you had lost; Bella chimed in with a few comments here and there but was mostly quiet as usual, leaving you with Alice and Rosalie to make plans for an upcoming shopping spree. You did want to refresh your wardrobe since it would also be a good time to spend some time with the girls as well.

At some point, you excused yourself for a small bathroom break and navigated yourself through the vast house, finding one of the many bathrooms and going inside. You were washing your hands and looking at your reflexion on the huge mirror when it dawned you: you hadn’t seen your father yet. Night was fast upon you, you were several hours here and you had not gone to see your father yet. It was too suspicious that you were still here, with the Cullens being as friendly as ever and stalling you from actually going to see your father. You hadn’t really realized it up until now, but Jasper was always looming around you, the moment your feelings and thoughts strayed towards your father; and then as if by magic, you would calm down.

Oh hell no!

They were not going to stop you any longer!

Going out of the bathroom, you check the hallway up and down before stepping a single foot outside and tip-toe to the front entrance. Trying not to make the slightest of sounds, you keep your breathing calm and your thoughts at bay, thinking as hard as you could about rainbows and unicorns and fairies; this would probably keep Edward away from your mind as you navigated yourself to the front door, avoiding any rooms that passed by the living room, staying put and completely freezing when you heard someone walk close by. The moment you were right next to the door, you grab Demetri’s coat and wear it before extremely cautiously slipping out in the open and fishing the car keys from the pocket; scanning the whole place as you descend the stairs and walk up to Demetri’s car, the one farther from the rest. Slipping on in the driver’s seat, you turn the engine on with a small prayer not to be noticed and stirring the wheel you step on the accelerator.

Only one destination was in your mind: home.  
  


**~ * ~**

  
Demetri was talking nonchalantly with Carlyle for a bit now. Both of them had retreated to a more secluded corner of the living room, discussing about the things going on in the vampire world right now. A few vampires running wild in the Sahara desert and a few nomads causing troubles in Kazakhstan; just the regular occurrences along the centuries. Carlyle was rather careful and polite not to ask any questions regarding the Volturi plans on any matter and rather asked how the Masters were doing, going as far as to tell Demetri to send Aro his regards.  


The vampire tracker was not naïve enough to realize there was a reason behind the greeting, more to make sure that the deal to turn the human into a vampire soon enough was still on, and kept himself under complete control. It was rather amusing to receive Edward’s openly careful and watchful glares from the other side of the room, but it was the werewolf that truly got on his nerves. This must be the ‘Embry’ _____ had talked about in numerous occasions and even mixed Demetri up for him when she was sick; under the vampire’s careful observation, he appeared to be nothing more than a petulant child who reeked of wet dog’s smell. Of course, there was no competition among them; he could easily win against him in ____’s eyes anytime. He was rather sure about it. Still, the young man had not taken his eyes off from him from the moment he saw him near ____ and Demetri was not oblivious to the fact his nerves were running thin; bring it on then. He would love to serve his head on a plate anytime; that would teach him not to look at ____ the way he did.

But now that he mentioned it, where was _____?

His head snapped back to where the girl had disappeared a few minutes ago, but the man could no longer feel her presence around the house.

‘What’s wrong?’ Carlyle asked, noticing the man’s confusion. In his words, the whole room grew deadly silent.

‘Demetri can’t feel ____ around.’ Edward commented out loud.

‘She is not in the house anymore.’ Demetri observed, faintly catching your mind essence lingering around towards the entrance door in a bright white colored mist. His eyes widened ‘She left.’

As his words reverberated like true gunshots inside the silent room, they caused uproar. The vampire Emmett cursed loudly, while the werewolves jumped on their feet, yelling among each other and towards Edward and Carlyle, who tried to pacify them. Bella said something to Edward, obviously worried and the man nodded.

‘She must be heading home.’ The man simply stated.

‘She can’t go there!’ Jacob yelled.

‘We must find her before she goes home!’ Embry barked at Jacob and the two wolves nodded, walking fast towards the exit.

‘I can track her immediately, but why should she not go home?’ Demetri questioned Edward seriously, making the werewolves stop on their tracks as well.

The man named Embry turned towards him unwillingly, glaring straight at him as if Demetri was just a mere nuisance he needed to wipe off the face of the earth.

Still, he tried to be reasonable ‘Because if she goes there on her own, she will be devastated with what she finds, you f*cking, bloodsucking leech.’ He spits on Demetri who only takes a threatening step forward.

His eyes narrowed on the werewolf, his growl for the insult drowning inside his neck ‘What haven’t you told her yet mutt?’  
But the answer comes from none other than Edward. He swallows hard, looking at Demetri with mortal seriousness.

‘Her father is dead.’  
  


**~ * ~**

When you finally arrived at your home, one of the first things you noticed was the complete lack of any lights coming from the windows looking towards the front yard. It was strange for your father to be away at this kind of hour, but oh well; you would wait for him either way. Coming out of the car –which you barely managed to save from throwing it into a tree with your poor driving skills that would make any grown man cry- you pay no attention to the pouring rain that cascaded the black skies above. Instead, you shove your hands into your pockets and with a quick gaze on the surrounding woods, you make your way towards your house only to realize you did not have your keys with you.

Kneeling down, you flip the doormat and fetch the spare key your dad always kept hidden under there in case you happened to forget your keys for the hundred time. With a small smile creeping its way on your lips, you unlock the door and enter the hallway with your hand reaching for the light switch and flipping it on. 

The whole space illuminated right before you and you felt a wild wave of happiness wash over you at your familiar surroundings. You were once again back home; it was a bittersweet feeling that made your heart pound loudly against your chest and your mind tried to take in all the spaces greedily, imprinting them deep into your mind. Walking a bit further inside the house, your gaze falls on the living room on your right and the small kitchen on your left; it only seemed like yesterday you were chatting merrily with your father in there, talking about how Embry and Jacob were nothing but two big baboons for pushing you away from their lives.

How much things had changed since then.

‘Daddy? Are you home?’ you yell out loud.

Nothing.

You stay absolutely quiet in order to hear any sound that would indicate movement from anywhere around the house, but nothing reaches you. Curiosity pricks your mind but as your gaze wanders a bit further around, you notice quite a few things that were amiss. Like the fact the house seemed empty and cold; that never happened when your dad was around and surely, it could not mean good things. Secondly, there was a faint layer of dust covering each and every surface in the rooms, even going as far as to fill the air and enter your lungs. Weird. There was definitely something wrong going on in here.

‘Dad?!’ you repeat, as you start walking towards his room, only for something white to catch your attention from the corner of your eye.

You freeze on the spot.

Slowly, very very slowly, your head turns to your right and onto a small table where the phone usually rested. Right now though, there are two other things decorating it.

Your heart drops and your blood runs cold inside your veins. As if you observed your own self through a huge big screen, you see your hand shoot up and wrap around a small piece of formal paper as your eyes can’t seem to pull themselves away from a framed picture of your father which was wrapped in black silk ribbon; your father smiled widely for the camera, but the black décor did nothing to pacify your rising terror. That was until you averted your eyes to the piece of paper and dared to read.  
_~In loving memory of Jack ______, beloved member of the Quileute Tribe, who died on 14th of April 2016, age 55. Rest In Peace. The hour of departure has arrived and we go our ways; I to die, and you to live. Which is better? Only God knows… Socrates~_

The piece of paper leaves your trembling hands and gracefully drops on the floor.

All you see is the floor coming dangerously close, before your knees land hard on it but in a strange way, you never even feel the aftermath of the collision. All you can truly understand is the rapid decrease in your vision as something warm fills it and traces down your cheeks.

Someone screamed but you were unable to pinpoint who it was. And then you realized: it was you the one who screamed.

Never in your life had you experienced such a strong wave of pain; it splits your mind in half and reaches all the way down to grab a firm hold of your heart, managing to stop it in a single blow. Instinctively, your hands wrap around yourself in a desperate attempt to keep you together, to prevent you from dissolving into millions of pieces as the pain burnt like hot lava inside your veins, numbing you and shredding you in half at the very same time. Your lungs were suddenly unable to inhale properly; large tears stained your face and dropped onto the floor; you hugged yourself for dear life, trying to prevent yourself from coming apart as your heart bled. It broke into millions of pieces and left you unable to breathe, think or feel anything anymore.

Dad was dead. Anything you needed to know, anything you could possibly think about was that mere laconicall sentence. The man you loved more than anyone else, your parent, the one who was there for you and cared for you since your very first days in this cruel world had died and you were not even aware of it. No, you were far, far away when the man needed you the most, failing to even realize the man was no more. You had failed your father. You were not here to save him; you were not here even for his own funeral. You were a complete disgrace of a daughter. How disappointed with you he must be. And oh how much it pained you that you were never to see him again. You would never laugh with him, be consoled by him when you cried, given advice and utterly be with him ever again. Death had snatched him away from you and there was nothing you could do to apologize for not being there.

Someone called your name from the door, an all too familiar male voice, before two cold hands wrapped around you.

‘DON’T TOUCH ME!’ you heard yourself scream and the man recoiled as if you had just burnt him ‘I don’t want you near me! Leave me be for tonight! Please! Please! I can’t anymore! I lost everything! EVERYTHING!’

Now another two voices came from the door and someone kneeled beside you as the first man took a step backwards at the very same moment you were pulled into a warm embrace; you were vaguely aware of the first man leaving, walking out the door, but you were too confused to realize anything else. You struggled against the embrace once more, hitting and cursing and crying, failing to hear what the man was saying as he rocked you back and forth, keeping you steadily against his sturdy chest and whispering words of comfort as he kissed your hair tenderly. You tried to break free once again, but eventually you stopped, grabbing a firm grip over his shirt and crying your heart out.

‘Don’t you cry baby doll. I am right here; right here. I’m so sorry for what happened; I didn’t want you to find out like this. Calm down, calm down. Don’t you cry anymore baby doll. You have me, you still have me. It’s going to be alright; you are going to be alright.’

‘It hurts Embry…….’ You cried out ‘It hurts so much!’

The man caressed your hair before planting another kiss on them ‘I know love. I am so sorry; we couldn’t do anything.’

Seconds, minutes, hours passed and you were still right there on the floor, hugging Embry for dear life and crying your heart out. At some point, your heart grew tired; your mind had gone completely numb and there were no tears left for you to shed anymore. You leaned against Embry completely exhausted and the moment the man noticed, he picked you up and carried you to your bedroom, gently laying you on the soft mattress. He sat beside you, wrapping his strong hands around you protectively. Heat radiated through his skin in calm waves and to your freezing self it was utterly soothing.

You swallowed hard ‘How…how did it happen?’ your voice came out hoarse and strained from all the screaming and tears.

Embry hesitated for a bit ‘It was a heart-attack. My mom found him the next day. There was nothing we could do to help him.’

Another tear slipped down your face ‘I see.’ You mumbled, closing you weary eyes.

Sleep enveloped you before you even realized, drawing you into a dreamless slumber, where there was nothing more but darkness all around you.


	34. Chapter 31 Revelations

When the next day dawned, it found you already changing into some running clothes.

Pulling up your hair in a ponytail, you slip your running shoes on, grabbing your IPod off your desk with a sharp move before walking out of your room.

As soon as your eyes opened today, all the pain and sorrow from yesterday consumed your heart once again, leaving you a hollow person to pick up the pieces. Reality was there to slap you across the face even after the sweet release you got for a few full hours over the night; even if you sincerely wished this was all a dream, that you would wake up to find your father calling you for breakfast, you had to embrace the fact you would never see him again. And honestly speaking, there was nothing you could earn from crying; no satisfaction, no taking all of your emotions out, no nothing. So instead, you decided to be productive today and do what you always did around here in the mornings: go for a run in the woods.

The moment you had looked on the mirror today, you almost failed to recognize your own self; being paler than ever, dark circles had made their appearance under your eyes and you positively looked tired beyond comprehension. And let’s not speak about how sad you looked.

So making your way to the exit door, your eyes are caught by Embry and Jacob who were in the kitchen, preparing breakfast for all of you. Embry was holding a frying pan filled with scrambled eggs which he was currently pouring on a plate and Jacob was gobbling his own down, both of them turning to look at you the moment you stepped into their field of vision. If it was any other day, if all this shit in your life hadn’t happened, you would have joined them both without a single thought about it; alas, right now, you felt different deep inside of you. Something had changed in you and you were not sure what yet.

‘Good morning sunshine.’ Jacob mumbles, pieces of food falling from his mouth.

‘How are you feeling baby doll? I made breakfast if you-‘

‘I don’t have time.’ you interrupt Embry ‘I’m going for a run. You guys eat away all you want; I won’t be back till noon.’ You say emotionlessly.

Embry raises an eyebrow at your words, moving his body weight from one leg to the other as his lips press into a thin line ‘Are you okay _____?’

You sigh; there was no way for you to get away without an explanation.

‘I am Embry; or at least I’m trying to be. Thank you for everything you guys did, as well as staying to keep an eye out for me. I know you always got my back, but I really want to be alone right now.’ You confess, trying to choke down another sob that threatened to erupt from within you; no, you had all of your emotions under control, there was nothing that could ruin your perfect façade right now.

But you could not stay with them as well. Their warm aura was something foreign for you and all you wanted was to be consumed by the coldness; not be comforted.

‘We can come with you ____. I really wanted to ru-‘

‘No Jake.’ Embry interrupted his friend before turning his sweet gaze to you and sighing ‘You can go; we’ll clean up and go. Anything you need, call us immediately.’ he advices.

‘Will do.’ You mumble, stuffing the ear buds on your ears and coming out of the house.

The moment you are outside, you inhale a deep breath of the freezing air and start running.

The scenery outside was once again gloomy.

Heavy clouds were hanging from the vast sky, sinking the whole place in a weird greenish and grey color, as you enter and run among the trees across your house. Everything around you was damp and smelled of mould, as the green trees were covered in a green layer of mould till the very last edge of them, with their huge branches almost touching the ground underneath them, due to the weight of their own leaves. The little sunlight that managed to escape the trees and reach the soil underneath wasn’t too much, so the whole forest was pretty much in an eerie mid-light that would discourage any sane person. Among the tall and luxurious trees around you, you could almost catch a glimpse of some forest animals that were disturbed by your unexpected presence, running away from where you were, as you were identified as a threat. Still, the track you followed, lead by your feet, is one that you used to race many times, when your mind turned too cloudy and your emotions spiraled out of control, making you unable to cope with them. So, your feet had lead the way on their own and you ran as fast as you could, practically racing against your own self.

At some point and as the voice of the lead singer of Motionless In White had hushed down for a bit, a large thunder echoes above you. Slowly, you start to realize that the leaves were moving fast and just at that point, the first drops of rain reached you. Pulling your hood up, you resume running.

A lot of things had happened to your life. You were sure that for any other person, they would have surely yielded already by the heaviness the burden of powers gave them. You could have handled everything; you were handling everything. But losing your father in such way was as sudden as it was horrific. It was a loss you were unsure if you would ever be able to overcome, mostly because of the fact things would have been a whole lot different if you were still here. Maybe you would have managed to save him. Call the ambulance as soon as he was down and eventually save him. Maybe he would never even have the heart attack in the first place. What if the sadness about your loss was the one that eventually killed him? How could you live with that? Your poor, poor father. Always too kind. Always too loving. And what a sad ending that man had. So unfair. If only you were able to say goodbye, if only you were there!

If. Only. You. Were. There!

You suddenly came to a stop.

Your lungs burn you from all the running and without realizing why, your knees give away and you kneel in the middle of the forest. Heavy rain was pouring above you, making your clothes wet and you soaked to the bone. But you didn’t care. You just didn’t care anymore, as your hands touched the ground in front of you and violent sobs started surfacing from deep inside your chest once again. Large, hot tears dripped down your face and small cries left your lips as you raised your hand in a fist and catapulted it against the steady ground with all of your might.

‘Why did it have to be him?!’ you scream loudly ‘Why couldn’t I save him?! Why wasn’t I here?! Why did I leave him to die?! I miss you daddy! I miss you so much! And I’m so sorry! I’m so, very sorry!’

Suddenly, the whole forest around you grew silent and utterly cold; the ground freezes under your feet and the rain cascading the skies almost turns into snow as something is terribly wrong.

You were so engulfed into your crying and accusing that you never really got the chance to realize there was someone standing right in front of you until it was too late. With your gaze falling on a pair of barefoot feet, it follows the rest of the body upwards only to see a very familiar woman standing in front of you, all dressed in white, with blood oozing from her lower belly. In her falsely serene sight, terror penetrates your mind and your voice drowns inside your lungs as the only thing you could do is watch while she raises her hand gently to place a finger on your forehead.

Your mouth dropped open as your dead mother stood right in front of you, eyes murky and unable to focus as her lips half opened and more blood came out of them, dripping down on the ground.

_ ~They found you.~_

The next thing you feel is a burning pain erupt from your left hand, right where your mark was resting under your clothes. A piercing scream of utter terror breaks loose, reverberating like a gunshot inside the silent forest as you clasp your hand tightly against your chest and in the blink of an eye, your mother’s figure disappears just as fast as it had appeared. You couldn’t quite understand what the hell had just happened; you were only able to feel the soaring pain course through your body like lightning, making you scream as new tears welled up in your eyes. You were utterly horrified. You wanted out and you wanted it now. Alas, your feet were unable to sustain you, leaving you nailed right there on the forest ground, completely unprotected and scared.

Out of the blue though, as if a higher being had heard your prayers, two cold and nimble hands wrap protectively around you and you are pulled against a cold embrace with the rich aroma of honey, lilac and rain reaching your nose far before the image was processed by your brain.

Demetri.

A wave of raw relief washed over you as you hug the man for dear life with all the strength you had left within your mortal body, trying to let the feeling of safety he was providing you with –he and only he- wash over you like warm water against your freezing cold skin. Hiding your face in the crook of his neck, you rejoice when his sturdy hands envelope you in a steely hug and the coldness of his skin is suddenly not only tolerable, but what you had been searching for; the only thing that could provide you with some comfort. Because as long as Demetri was there, you knew you were safe and sound. Demetri caresses your (h/c) locks calmly and carefully, allowing the physical contact to calm your racing heart down before he knows you are able to realize where you were and what you were doing there.

‘Demetri, thank God you are here!’ you cry out, a sob lacing the end of your sentence, making the man tighten his grip around you.

‘I’m right here ______. You are safe; I won’t let anything hurt you.’ he coos, rising on his feet and pulling you along with him.

Unwrapping his hands from around you, he leans back a bit before cupping your cheeks with his cold hands and gazing deep into your weary (E/c) orbs, seeing the full magnitude of your distress and fear as you practically shook like a leaf; it was the first time the man was seeing you like that and it made him curse his decision not to interfere sooner. He had been following you from the moment you had exited the house, trying to make sure you would be alright, only to see you falling on the ground and screaming out. Surely, it wasn’t the pain of loss that made humans do that; or at least, not the loss alone. You were terrified; your frantic heartbeat told him as much.

‘I-it was my….my mother…..she…she..’

‘______ calm down. Breathe. Inhale. Exhale.’ He coached you, his cold breath falling on your face and having an extremely soothing effect on you, immediately calming you down considerably and allowing your thoughts to lighten up once again inside your mind, regaining the lost control.  
  
Blinking, you saw Demetri staring at you, his rich burgundy eyes watching you with calmness and stability; the color was so vibrant and so familiar, it chased away the remaining terror off your chest. You inhaled deeply.

‘Can you please take me away from here Demetri? I want to leave…’ you blurt out, sighing and resting your head against his chest, hugging him once more.

‘What do you want me to do ____?’ he gently whispers, pulling you against him like there was no tomorrow; it was an action so desperate and so soothing, it made your heart miss a beat as you whispered.

‘I don’t want to return to that house anymore. I want to get away from it. Can you please take me somewhere else?’ you choke out, before swallowing hard.

Demetri caresses your hair and kisses your forehead.

‘I will take you anywhere you like ____.’ He declares.

With a swift move, he picks you up bridal style and you throw your arms carefully around him as he turns and starts racing through the forest. With all the running and crying, you had failed to realize how far inside the forest you had come, but since Demetri was with you right now, you felt absolutely safe. The man flew among the trees, barely having the need to step on the ground, before he came to a stop on a nearby road, where the car was waiting for you. He didn’t leave you down even for a single second as he opened the door and helped you sit inside, completely ignoring the fact you were soaking wet and ruining the seat. He only closed the door and in a split second was already sitting on the driver’s seat, turning the engine on. His fingers flew on the air condition and the radio; warm air surrounded you and you sighed lightly, feeling Demetri relax right beside you as he stirred the wheel and drove.

‘You sincerely believed I left you alone till now?’ Demetri says, turning to look at you and despite your fatigue, you immediately notice that the rich red color had returned on his eyes and the dark circles had disappeared; he had fed, there was no doubt about it.

‘You seem better.’ You observe the obvious, watching him as he lets out a small chuckle, but his good mood did not reach to lighten up his eyes.

‘I fed, as you already observed.’ He shrugs ‘But you didn’t answer my question. You really think I left you alone with those moronic wolves that can’t even transform normally?’

‘They are my friends Demetri; keep those comments to yourself.’ You snap at him, folding your hands under your chest and looking away from him.

‘Then why are you here with me and not with them?’ he asks.

You open your mouth to answer, but no sound comes out for a single moment; his question had caught you by surprise so much, that even trying fathoming a good reply was pointless. Why were you here with him and not with them? Was it because you were in love with him? In the mere thought, your face flashes a bright red and you lower it in a desperate attempt to hide it away from his watchful eyes; your traitorous heart accelerates its beat and you curse it loudly inside your mind.

‘It is different now Demetri. Everything seems different; both with them and with me. I am not the same person I used to be and the change is too much to be accumulated immediately. If ever really.’ You say the half truth, passing a hand through your hair to relax a bit.

‘Everything changes _____. Even for us vampires. Experiences change us; they left you in the castle alone and they continued on with their lives as if nothing happened.’

Demetri calmly observes, making a sting of pain flash through your heart.

‘They did not abandon me there; I chose it myself.’

‘Yet we were the ones to keep you safe. Most of us at least.’

‘They did their best Demetri. End of the discussion.’ You spit on his face, boiling with anger that laced your words generously.

Demetri remains silent for a long while as you drive around town but eventually he gives in ‘Can you just promise me you will be careful around them? I do not trust them with your safety at all; they are too impulsive and dangerous. One misstep and disaster can strike.’ He gently coos, trying not to anger you ever further.

From your point of view though, you were too tired to argue with him; all too tired.

So instead you sigh and turn your gaze to meet with his ‘They are my friends since I was little; they will give their lives for me just as Felix will do for you Demetri. So don’t belittle them like that.’

Demetri presses his lips into a thin line in dismay and says nothing as you pull over at the Pacific Motel, one of the best hotel/motels around Forks. Reaching inside his pocket, he takes out a small plastic box, which he opens and pulls out a contact lens which he quickly places in his eye. All you can do is stare in confusion as you see his eyes turn into a dull purple shade, ruining the majestic color and making your stomach drop in disappointment. Before you even realize how engulfed you were to observing him, Demetri turns and catches you red-handed, offering you one of his usual cocky smiles.

‘We don’t want humans noticing me now do we? You like them?’ he asks, winking slyly to you and you only roll your eyes.

‘I preferred the previous color.’ you admit evenly and open your door, stepping out of the car.

The Pacific Inn Motel in Forks was just the right place to come when you needed to explore the place as long as you’d like. The owners were always kind and welcoming to pretty much anyone who stayed over and it was located right in the middle of Forks, with access to anything you might need. In the past you used to walk by it and not pay attention too much, since you were more used to hanging around La Push but now that you had the chance to look at it, you had to admit they had done a pretty neat job.

Demetri passed his hand on the small of your back, leading you gently towards the building and opening the door like a real gentleman for you to pass first into the warm interior. Looking around you, the reception area was really warm and welcoming and the receptionist smiled widely upon seeing you and Demetri walk up to her.

‘One room please. Double bed, view to the road.’ Demetri said and the girl nodded, giving him the key to the 11th room on the first floor.

‘Enjoy your stay.’ She smiled as you walked towards the stairs, with you eyeing Demetri carefully.

‘Why did you ask for only one room?’ you blurt out the moment you were out of the vicinity, with no one able to hear you as you walked towards the room.

Demetri flashed another smile ‘If you have failed to notice, I do not get much sleep and only one room will help me keep an eye on you in case you decide to do anything reckless.’ He admits, coming to a stop right in front of the room and unlocking the door for you before handing you the key.

‘I have to run some errands, but I will be back at night. Do not get into trouble and use this’ he raised your hand gently and placed a phone on your open palm before wrapping your delicate fingers around it ‘If you need anything.’ He says and bringing your hand on his cold lips, he graces them with a gentle kiss, making a wild shiver shoot down your spine and your stomach to turn vividly.

‘Alright.’ You mumble, but the man has already disappeared before you manage to answer him leaving you stand alone on the hotel corridor.

Sighing, you enter the room, closing the door behind you. Everything inside the room was utterly neat and clean even if the room itself was rather small; the double bed was decorated with red and black sheets and a small TV was located right across from it. In the far back was a washbasin and on the right the door to the bathroom. The two large windows existing on either side of the bed offered bright light which poured inside in abundance, since the rain had long ago stopped, allowing the clouds to thin out yet not dissolve completely; one of the perks of being in Forks and La Push was the fact they had cloudy weather 360 days a year. Demetri was kind enough to carry along your bag so throwing it on the bed you rummage through it for some dry clothes. Stripping from your current ones, you enter the bathroom for a quick and relaxing shower.

Hot water cascaded down your shoulders, relaxing your tension and chasing away the coldness of staying into your damp clothes for too long. Using the shampoo the motel provided you with, you allow your thoughts to relax and wander freely to all the things happening currently in your life with their only purpose to assess them and get them in order. Being back home after what seemed like centuries was not as happy as you would like, since the abrupt death of your father had taken away from you all the need to see your loved ones. Right now, you felt completely alienated from them and honestly, you didn’t know if you could cross the gap dividing you. Maybe you didn’t even want to as well. Out of pure luck though, you were happy Demetri was by your side. If he was around, maybe things were bound to get better eventually.

Coming out of the shower completely relaxed and refreshed, you were drying your hair when your phone went off. Throwing a quick glance at it, the number seemed rather familiar but you couldn’t remember where you had seen it before. Reaching out for the device, you press the answer option and bring it on your ear.

‘Hello?’ you ask curiously.

_‘I hope you are ready for some girl’s time because we are right outside your window and waiting for you.’ _a familiar voice chimed in, making you rush to the window and pull the drapes.

‘Alice, where did you get this number? Demetri just gave me the phone.’ You say as you locate both the elfish girl and Bella standing on the parking lot, waving happily and smiling at you.

Smiling back, a small chuckle leaves your lips as Alice speaks on your ear.

_‘We couldn’t let the Volturi Casanova have you all to himself, so we came by to break some rules over coffee and cupcakes for you girls. You surely seemed to be needing some girl time yesterday so I thought to abduct you.’_

‘I’m coming right over.’

_‘Don’t keep us waiting.’_

Throwing a jacket on your shoulders, you race out of the motel to meet with the girls who waited for you on the parking lot. As soon as you reach them, you pull both of them into a big bear hug, feeling your heart melt away and finally realize you were truly home. Bella and Alice don’t question how you’ve been holding on; they just know as well as you know they can finally rest now that you were back with them. Allowing them to lead you on, the three of your enter a nearby coffee shop, where you choose the farthest table you can find, where no one could hear you. The coffee shop was divided into two sections, with the main area occupying the most of the tables and the second one being more secluded; the whole place was decorated in a classical American way, with beautiful little checked curtains covering the windows’ sides. Passing by the tables, you see familiar faces from around town and even some of your old classmates who you greet happily.

Alice sits across from you on the table as you choose the nearest seat to the window, overlooking the motel parking lot, while Bella takes the third seat in the middle. Alice continued to be just as lovely as you remembered her, with her golden eyes shining like gems under the strong sunlight but Bella was the one to have changed a lot. Her luxurious brown locks cascaded her back to reach all the way down to her waist, while it was quite obvious she had lost weight but in contrast with the last time you saw her, life was burning behind her eyes once again. This time though, an enormous diamond ring decorated her finger as she rested her hand on the table, leaning her head on it and smiling brightly at you.

You point at the ring as Alice orders you all tea and cupcakes.

‘I never thought Edward would actually convince you to tie the knot Bells. You were so adamant about it.’

Bella averts her gaze shyly from yours, passing a finger over the ring to caress it gently ‘It was difficult even for him actually. I still don’t know how he got me like that.’

A small chuckle escapes your lips ‘He’s Edward; of course he can convince you to do anything.’

‘I’ve already ordered her wedding dress _____; you’re going to love it.’ Alice winks at you and you laugh.

‘When is the big day?’

‘In a month from now.’ Bella tries to avert the conversation away from the preparations ‘We’ll go on a honeymoon and once we return, Edward is going to change me.’

‘Of course he will.’ You mumble sadly ‘Does Jake know about this?’

Bella’s expression falls into a depressed one and Alice immediately grabs her hand in her cold own to comfort her as Bella nods ‘He thinks he can change my mind; but he doesn’t know the wedding is coming.’

At that point, the waitress brought you your orders and the conversation was inevitably stirred to another direction as you added sugar in your tea and brought it to your lips before sipping a bit. Alice watched you all the time and you simply knew what she was going to ask, even if you didn’t have her gifts in premonitions.

‘How about you _____? How are you holding on?’

Gently, you rest your cup on the table; feeling their stares burning your face off.

‘I’m better than expected actually.’ You admit truthfully ‘Things are going better with the Masters and I have made a few friends around the castle.’

‘You mean Demetri?’ Bella asks.

‘She means Alec, Felix and Demetri.’ Alice smiles ‘They truly care about you, you know. They were greatly worried when Luce took you away.’ She says but doesn’t get into details, which you are thankful about.

‘You know about that?’

‘About that and about the dungeons and everything that happened. I promised to keep an eye on you and kept my word.’ Alice simply states, happy with herself.

Still, the fact they knew everything that happened to you was not comforting at all. In contrast, it made you feel uneasy and your fingers involuntarily tightened their grasp around the cup.

‘I am so sorry for revealing your powers to the Volturi _____. I-I was not thinking straight, Edward was in pain, I lashed out and it wasn’t fair for you. And now your father; I don’t know what to say.’ Bella exclaims, her chocolate brown eyes filling with sorrowful tears that pained you to look upon, since you would never wish for your best friend to be in such pain.

Truthfully, she was the one to urge you to use your powers, but it was entirely your decision to use them in the end.

‘Bella, you don’t have to worry yourself. What is done, is done and even if I could turn back time, I would still choose to protect you. Sure, things are not all butterflies and flowers with the Volturi, but as long as you are all safe, I am content and happy.’ You declare, trying to chase away her guilt with the best smile you could muster.

Alas, it doesn’t seem to make much difference since Bella continues to sulk, but one meaningful glance over at Alice and the vampire intervenes in order to lighten up the mood. It would be a shame to waste such a good opportunity in which you were alone by sulking and thinking how things would be different.

‘So _____’ Alice exclaims as you take a bite off a cupcake ‘You and Demetri seem oddly attached to one another. I can swear, I have never seen a vampire so consumed by the mere presence of a human.’ She smiles a devilish grin as her eyes study you but in response, you choke on your cupcake.

Coughing loudly, you try to down the piece with some tea before you look at Alice clearly bewildered.

‘What are you talking about Alice? Me and Demetri are stric-‘

‘I’m not Aro or Caius _____. And definitely not Embry. I know you and Demetri have had some hot make out sessions on numerous occasions even if I couldn’t see the future.’

She winks at you.

Bella’s eyes grow as big as two dinner plates ‘You made out with Demetri?!’

‘Please repeat that just a tad louder; I think there is a guy in the corner that didn’t quite hear you.’ you say, but your completely flustered face and quickened heartbeat doesn’t hide anything from your two best friends.

Eventually, you sigh exasperatingly and throw a hand over your eyes ‘Yes, yes. Me and Demetri have made out. Quite often if I may say.’

‘Bingo! Another human who falls for us vampires!’ Alice leans back on her chair, a victorious expression written all over her face.

Bella on the other hand leans forward with interest ‘How was it?’

‘Awesome. Exhilarating. Blew my f*cking mind off.’ You admit instantly ‘The man might be a Casanova but damn does he know how to kiss.’

Bella seems thoughtful in your words ‘I would have never guessed you would fall for that type of guy.’

‘Man.’ You correct her as your phone goes off ‘And I did not fall for him.’

Pressing the answer option, you excuse yourself for a moment to see who was calling you.

‘Hello? Who is this?’

_‘I hope you are having a great time bitch. Or had, because I want to let you on a little secret.’_

Your heart drops inside your chest and your face grows stone cold.

Heidi.  


**~ * ~**

  
It was actually one of the greatest wonders how a vampire would ever be able to work in a human clinic, among all those injured humans, but Carlyle Cullen was the living proof of it actually happening.

Demetri was standing among the small corridors patiently, watching as few patients and nurses –all human- were walking up and down the place, either cheerfully talking among themselves and ignoring him or throwing him secret glances and observing the peculiarly gorgeous man from afar. A few of the nurses walking by giggled and winked at him, but the vampire found them utterly indifferent, lacking of a fierce and cheerful personality accompanied by (e/c) orbs and perfect (h/c) (h/l) hair. Absentmindedly, Demetri wondered when he had lost his appetite for women; in the past he would have surely returned home with two or three of them, but right now, all of them seemed blunt.

Instead, the man chooses to wait for the leader of the Cullen clan patiently as the latter was tending to his patients. These damn contact lenses were annoying him to bits, narrowing his vision and making him see even their engraved codes and the smell of blood did nothing to prevent his thirst from rising, but Demetri was too collected and patient to run wild with merely that.

‘There you are Demetri!’ a voice exclaims, drawing the vampire’s attention ‘How may I help you? Is _____ alright?’

Carlyle was exactly how Demetri remembered him from all those years back; extremely blond hair –a shade lighter than Caius’s and Jane’s-, golden eyes accompanied with a kind smile and a deep rose scent. In his presence, Demetri ignored the rest of the patients, focusing on the matters at hand.

‘_____ is perfectly fine; she is currently resting after finding out about her father.’ The man informs the doctor calmly with a court nod of his head.

Carlyle’s gaze saddens ‘Her father was a good man; his loss was a terrible one indeed. But what brings you here old friend?’

‘I want some help with finding a proper residence for as long as out stay will last. Since we are at your territory, I thought it would be best to ask you for assistance.’

Carlyle did not seem at all surprised with what Demetri had requested and instead smiled kindly ‘_____ is a very lucky girl to have you by her side Demetri. Both of you fit well with one another. I also believe that I can in fact help you out. I know just the right man to assist you into finding a perfect home. Of course, you can stay as long as you wish. We’ll be happy to have _____ and you around.’

‘What about my end of the bargain? What would you like me to do for you?’ Demetri asked seriously.

There were always two sides of a coin when it came to vampires having a deal; Demetri knew all about it from various missions he had been in, but Carlyle truly wasn’t the man to exploit a situation. Not now, not ever.

‘As long as you feed far away and discreetly, I only ask you to take good care of dear _____. She sacrificed too much for my family and I sincerely do not know how to repay her for that.’ Carlyle admitted kindly.

And Demetri wasn’t lying when he nodded ‘I give you my word.’

A few hours later and Demetri was standing in front of a house all-too-perfect for you. The sun had already set but his eyes could still see perfectly clear, freed from the lenses and looking at the house as the man’s grin widened in his face. Carlyle had introduced him to a real estate agent who despite his human nature managed to find the perfect house in the outskirts of town for ____ to call home. Demetri’s chest filled with pride and satisfaction for his accomplishment, as he turned on his heel, walking to the car and intending to come back to you.

All he had to do now, was bring you here.


	35. Chapter 32 The Heart Wants What It Wants

When Demetri finally came back last night, you were already fast asleep and too pulled inside the dreamland in order to deal with him in any way. It was on purpose; you didn’t want to see him, talk to him or deal with him in any way until you were in the right state of mind to do so without smiting him into tomorrow. And honestly speaking, it was not as easy as it looked like at all. Heidi was good enough to let you on some info you apparently did not know and had to know; of course, you were not naïve enough to believe it was out of the goodness of her unbeating heart, but you thanked her nevertheless for telling you. As you hang up the call, Bella and Alice questioned you what was wrong since you had grown pale and utterly silent in a matter of seconds, but you reassured them everything was fine. They weren’t convinced.  


Just like Demetri this morning.

As soon as your eyes were open, all the emotions you kept rather well hidden yesterday, chasing them away from your mind in order to manage and render a peaceful sleep for yourself at least for one single night, all came back like a tidal wave that threatened both to drown you and lead you to murder the undying man that was unaware of the ill-fate you had in store for him. Oh, but he should ultimately know, should he now? I mean, nothing ever staying hidden for too long anf the truth has always been known to find a way for herself to be releaved... But you were waiting for the right time, biding your time and thinking of the perfect plan to go with it; you could not risk freaking out and letting all your anger out all at once. Oh no. You were going to make him suffer for everything. And it would all begin with a simple step....you were downright ignoring the man utterly, texting furiously on your phone and acting as if anything he told you was of no importance whatsoever. This behavior had earned you quite a few questioning gazes but the questions accompanying them went unanswered and the man only got utter silence as his only responce. It was rather peculiar of you to be so silent; Demetri only remembered a few times you were this silent and none of them ever lead to anything good. But no matter how much the man tried to wrap his finger around what was it that made you mad this time, he quite couldn't. Females; he will always fall behind in understanding them. Maybe a little gift, the small surprise he had in store for you would make you open up a bit and offer him a glimpse of your troubled mind. This is why he announced, all too happy, that he had a surprise in store for you and that you would be leaving the motel today.

Your response to his bright demeanour and sly smirk was only a simple shrug of your petite shoulders.

And before you even knew it, you were sitting on the passenger’s seat comfortably, phone in hand and fingers flying over the keyboard as you texted on and on with Embry like nothing was amiss at all while Demetri drove over to whatever the hell your destination was, throwing you sideways glances when he believed you weren't looking. The fool. You simply could not care less, unless it was about murdering him... Maybe that was the surprise _you_ had in store for him, but that would wait for the apropriate time, when he least expected it. Sighing to yourself, you throw a disinterested gaze outside the car window. It appeared you were heading towards the outskirts of town, since by the looks of it, the houses grew scarce and the forest took their place, filling the place with a magnificent green tint the further and farthest you were going. The engine purred lightly and the heating had long ago enveloped you in a sweet blanket of warmth, making it all too easy to forget where you were and with who-

‘Will you leave the phone aside for a minute? You are making me regret ever giving it to you.’ Demetri spoke up at that very point, his fingers tightening around the steering wheel in dismay and his anger staining his voice just a bit.

‘I’m in the middle of a very serious conversation here. So no.’ you reply as-a-mater-of-factly as you send Embry an angel emoticon and a wink.

Demetri sighs and his shoulders loosen, droping his facade of anger and revealing for the first time, just a little bit of uncertainty. It was something you had never seen on him ‘What is the matter _____? I can see you are angry so there is no point in ignoring me.’

‘Hello there Captain Obvious, how are things going?’ you throw back at him voice filled with irony and spite, feeling his gaze piercing the side of your face but you would be damned if you turned to look at him straight in the eye.

‘I always know when you are angry, you cannot hide fr-‘

‘I cannot hide myself away, but in your case, you can hide fro me everyone quite well, right?’ you roll your eyes before you have the chance to control yourself, giving in to your anger and mentally cursing yourself. You didn’t want to lash out, you wanted to keep all the info as to why you were angry to yourself. So slipping too much info out was out of the question.

‘I have never hidden anything from you.’ Demetri replies calmly, further infuriating you since his voice sounded clear with pretended honesty.

‘Of course you haven’t.’ you shrug ‘You’re just a perfect little vampire, aren’t you?’

‘I never said I-‘

‘Are where there yet?’ you interrupt him with a fluid motion ‘I’m getting tired of this conversation.’

Demetri blinks sheepishly, taken aback by the surprise for the very first time and struggles with his words, trying to answer and understand what the hell is wrong with you all at the same time. Which was utterly impossible, he concluded, it would be easier for him to explain the reason of life or what is beyond death than understand even in the slightest, the works of a female mind. So instead of giving you a response, he takes a sharp turn on a small road that lead away of the highway and after one minute of more silent driving, he stops right in front of a huge two floor house. The moment the car stops, you take it as your long awaited cue to get out the fastest you can, so flinging the door open with not as much as a second thought, you literally eject yourself out, only to find yourself standing right in front of a majestic house.

It was a simple, American styled two floor house with a huge, wooden front porch and few steps leading to it and the front entrance. It had big windows overlooking the front yard and it was painted in a beautiful light blue color with white window frames and a white front door. Even with a single look at it, you could tell there was more to it than met the eye, but you simply refused to express your curiosity in investigating it more. The surprise though had pushed away the anger for a single moment and that must have been written all over your face because Demetri smiled cockily the moment he was beside you and looked at your filled with wonder face.

‘We’ll be staying here from now on. My surprise for you _____. A brand new home.’ He gently coos, passing his hand on your back gently, ever-so carefully.

You shoot forward in the mere touch as if he had electrocuted you on the spot, completely ignoring the clearly disappointed and surprised man. Walking fast towards the house without a single look back, your hand wraps tightly around the doorknob and you open the unlocked door widely.

And the interior blew your mind away.

Behind the entrance door spread a narrow but vast hallway. The walls were covered by dark brown wood up until a certain point, which matched perfectly with the rest of the walls that were covered in a luxurious wine red wallpaper, making the whole place seem dimly lit but lavishly grand nonetheless. A narrow wooden staircase was placed on your right, leading up to the first floor while on your left were two doorframes which lead towards the rest of the house. A beautiful chandelier was adorning the ceiling, filling the place with light that created little rainbows as it reflected, while a thick off-white carpet covered the whole staircase and the hallway, drowning away the sound your steps made. Beautiful paintings of people and landscapes adorned the walls, while a small marble table rested in the immediate left of the door with a huge mirror hanging above it and a coat rack was resting lazily near the wall.

You thoughts were positively a mess as you took in your surroundings and before you even realized it, you were walking through the door on your left, walking straight into the kitchen.

The first thing you noticed, was the plentiful light coming inside both from the window on your left and the vast wall window right across from you, which continued on undisturbed to the next room and was having a breathtaking view to the porch and the breathtaking forest of pine trees surrounding the house. A dining table with six chairs rested on your left, made out of oak wood and decorated with a crystal vase overflowing with white roses while on your right was an enormous kitchen island decorated with black granite and various kitchen appliances. Behind it was the rest of the kitchen with the selves and surfaces in the very same colors as the rest of the furniture while the oven and the fridge were brand new and made out of cold metal. The whole room was in a warm beige color and the floor under you was made out of oak wood as well, matching perfectly with the rest. All appliances seemed brand new and ready for use and if you had guessed correctly, they were all new models.

Walking towards the door right next to the fridge, you immediately find yourself in the living room of the house and this time, you cannot help but inhale a sharp breath of pure wonder.

Everything is in the warm shades of beige, browns and oranges covering the walls and the wooden floor in a breathtaking pattern as the wall window continued on around the room and covering the entire left side of it, offering light and view to the porch and forest. Right as you passed the door, a huge dining table rested in front of you, surrounded with chairs and decorated with two huge crystal vases filled with roses and lilacs while right next to you on your right was a grand buffet filled with crystal glasses, decanters and porcelain plates. Beyond them were three traditional American couches, two of them in beige color with orange and beige pillows with various patterns, as they faced each other and the third sofa was on the head of the small coffee table which was in the middle of them, facing the huge marble fireplace and the flat TV over it, in a rich orange color.

Two chandeliers decorated the ceiling and thick carpets the wooden floor, offering the whole place a breath of welcoming and cozy atmosphere. The whole house had a grand view and was well lit by the sun coming through the windows and it already gave off a rich smell of roses and lilacs. It was actually home.

‘Do you like it, my lovely ____?’ an inhumanely beautiful and low voice brings you back in reality abruptly and turning your head immediately, you see Demetri leaning in the doorframe casually, his body well toned and relaxed, looking at you with a sly smirk plastered upon his face as if he was seeing a little child being introduced to a huge playground.

For a split second, for just fragments of eternity you forget what he hid and your anger for him subsides, instead replaced by sadness and wonder as you look all around you to what the man was able to create just for you. Only for you.

‘It is beautiful.’ You say, voice barely above a whisper, almost cracking at the end.

‘Your bedroom is the first door across the stairs.’ Demetri comments and the previous hostility towards him is newly awakened once again in a single snap, as images long forgotten emerged to make you sick of the sight of him.

‘Then I shall save you from my unpleasant company.’ You exclaim and walk fast past him without so much as another glance, giving him no chance to say anything or stop you as you flew up the stairs and walked towards your room, closing the door heavily behind you.

Leaning against it, you close your eyes and take a few long, shaky but deep breaths; you had to calm down and not allow his pathetic excuses of gifts and surprises ruin your emotionless façade. Everything about him, everything he gave or said to you, was temporary no matter how pretty they were. No matter how much they made your skin shiver and your heart to run a literal marathon, as your body ached and leaned towards him out of its own volition. No! You must not allow him to play with your mind and emotions ever again. Collecting your scattered thoughts, you flash your eyes open and look around your room.

Dark browns, oranges and reds prevail everywhere you look. From the orange walls and ceiling, to the dark brown floor and the dark, brown mahogany furniture adorning the place. A huge king sized bed was resting on your left, made entirely out of brown mahogany wood and decorated with chocolate brown sheets and brown, orange and red pillows. Two bedside tables were resting on each side of it, both of them adorned with two lamps. One of them even had a old-fashioned clock on it. Right across from the bed was a stone fireplace and next to it on the right were a wardrobe and a vanity table on its left. Deep red carpets covered the floor while a door on your right lead to the private bathroom. Coming as no surprise to you, the left wall right next to the bed was nothing but glass, leading out on a small sundeck.

A small buzzing sound coming from your phone breaks your daydreaming and elicits a small yelp as it abruptly brings you back to the harsh reality. Only a simply glimpse on your phone screen let you know that you didn’t have any time left; you had to get ready as soon as possible, because after a little secret arangement you had over the phone earlier, Embry was on his way and coming to pick you up in a few minutes, giving you just a little bit of precious time in your desposal to make yourself as close to presentable as you could. It seemed like a good opportunity now that you needed to get away from Demetri to finally take Embry up on that offer he had given you all those months back and finally go to the movies. The moment the thought had come to your mind this morning, you had snatched the opportunity as fast as you could, taking the werewolf by a pleasant surprise. He was surely unaware that you wanted to avoid the vampire accompanying you, but to be completely honest, a little part of you wanted to take that chance as well with him, just to see where all those mixed feelings would lead you to. You had been thinking it for quite some time now, the thoughts moving and forming in the back of your mind where the light and Demetri's presence didn't seem to reach; that little part of you that still remained completely faithful to yourself. Either way, if these feelings were cleared or not, you would finally be spending some quality time alone with your best friend, away from Demetri and his traitorous nature.

You needed a break from all those cold and immortal creatures and a break you were gonna get.

So ten minutes later, a message came for you and opening your door, you walk hastily towards the exit as fast as you could in order to avoid everything and everyone. You were wearing your favorite navy blue dress which reached all the way down to your knees, with a pair of black tight leggings and your favorite black ankle-high boots. The whole outfit was completed with a nice silver sun necklace Aro had given you, a small blue bag and your favorite black [jacket](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/37/ed/cd/37edcd22bd3edf85c4fdead0947a8e00.jpg).

The moment you are at the door, fetching the keys to the house with one hand out of the bowl, you feel a pretty ominous presence looming behind you from the kitchen and openly glaring at you irritably. Demetri's red eyes threw flames of anger towards you and you didn’t need to look at him to know he was actually pissed off beyond himself, since his luxuriously burgundy eyes were shaded by a strong black tint; yet you didn't find it in you to care a single bit.

‘I’m going out for now. I’ll be back probably around ten at night.’ You inform him casually, throwing your jacket over your shoulders and flipping your (h/l) (h/c) hair out.

‘You’re going out with that pathetic wanna-be werewolf aren’t you?’ he throws at you spitefully, his voice more of a statement than a question. If he tried to conceal his utter annoyance, he failed dearly to do so.

‘I’m going out with whoever the hell I want. It’s none of your damn business Volturdoggie.’ was the only responce you dignified him with.

By the way you grabbed a hold of the poor doorknob, one must have thought it was your mortal enemy or your utter nemesis ass you flinged the door open and closed it behind you with a loud bang that resonated through the silent night. Anger was boiling inside your chest like hot lava, and you didn't need the feeling of two eyes being practicaly glued to your back to know that he must be watching you from one of the windows. Too bad that reason managed to tackle your anger a little bit and you resisted the urge to flip his pompous ass off as you marched over towards were a familiar figure was standing right next to Demetri’s car as if you were actually going to war. How DARE he have the audacity to question where the HELL you were going and even going as far as to insult your FRIEND? Damn him. Damn him to hell! DAMN ALL THOSE LEECHES AND THE WAY THEY F*CKED UP YOUR LIFE IN ANY WAY THEY SEEMED FIT!

Embry doesn’t even get the chance to open his mouth and welcome you, as his face is painted with surprise when he looks upon your pissed-beyond-all-reason self, but two words from you are enough to set him into motion as if you had lashed them on him like a whip.

‘Let’s go.’

Without waiting for the werewolf to enter his car or process what you had said, you already throw the door open and make yourself comfortable inside the familiar car, still throwing murderous glares towards the house and the direction you knew a certain someone was watching you from. Embry was well used to your anger outbursts after all those years of enduring it by your side and does exactly as he is told without a single question and out of sheer reflex; he enters the car without talking or waiting, his aura calm and collected and utterly fearful, as he turns the key in the ignition and turns his car around. In mere minutes, you are speeding off into the highway and you are literally boiling in your own blood from the anger, still refusing to talk and with your little storm cloud throwing thunders over your head ominously.

‘_____, don’t talk so much; I can’t hear myself think.’ Embry chuckles at some point, his happy voice filling the small space and ringing in your ears with nothing but comfortable familiarity.

‘Screw you Embry.’

‘Maybe later baby doll.’ Embry laughs, his dark brown eyes falling on you briefly as his all-too-familiar bright smile graces his lips.

And suddenly, with the snap of some invisible finger, you were home. You were actually home, with your best friend laughing happily right beside you and joking around just to make you laugh; you had missed that. You had missed how easy it was to let your guards down and simply be yourself without all the spite and bitterness needed to deal with the Volturi without going mad yourself. Out of all the things you had missed so dearly, this was the most important one out of them all. Being accepted for who you were, with all your perks and flaws that nobody was there to make fun of or judge as a means to destroy you in the long run. And it was comfortable; it was soothing and comfortable to feel like your heart could trully be heard through without the need for hidden meanings and lies and petty things. In front of this realization, your lips form a calm smile and you gaze upon Embry with warmth filling your heart.

Your best friend had changed a lot in the few months you had not seen him. You realized it just now, since nothing of extreme importance was there to draw your attention elsewhere and due to that, you manage to see the man which Embry grew out to be. His chocolate brown hair had grown a bit, now falling into casual disarray and reaching towards his earlobes, while his cheekbones had become more pointed and his face more masculine. Embry had lost his slender figure and now muscles grew under his tight t-shirt even if they continued to hold on to their lean appearance. His almond colored eyes were filled with sadness for too long- you knew, because they seemed tired even now that he appeard utterly and trully relaxed. You weren’t a fool though; you knew that your captivity by the Volturi was the cause of it, but sincerely hoped things would change now that you were here. That you would be able to fix things among you or pick up where you had left them off. He did trully seem more relaxed. As if he could finally breathe once again.

‘You changed.’ You murmur almost inaudibly, but the acute hearing sense of the werewolf picks it up as if you were screaming it to him.

Another smile which reveals the dimple in his chin ‘I would say the same to you too _____.’

Nodding dismissively, you offer a bitter smile ‘Many things have happened in these past months. How were things here though? How..’ you swallow hard the lump that formed in your throat ‘How were you and dad?’

Embry tightens his grip instinctively around the steering wheel; his lips press together in a thin line and his eyes fill with anger instantly, turning his once happy and relaxed aura into one of pure anger and sadness, oozing from him like black miasma urging you to look away; but you didn’t. Instead, you watch him carefully, noticing his hands that started shaking slightly, revealing you his whole distress about the matter. Like a true man though, he doesn’t deny you a reply or anything but the truth.

‘It’d be so easy for me to lie to you right now; '_everything was perfect ____, you don’t have to worry yourself, we knew you were going to come back._’ He chuckles bitterly, throwing you a sad gaze as he passed a hand through his already mixed hairin order to force himself to relax ‘But I’m not going to bullshit you. Everything was a living hell. When Edward and Carlyle announced to me you were gone, I ran away for almost a month; hunting in Alaska, I grew apart from the pack. I blame them, as well as the Cullens and Bella mostly, for your capture. Yes, the wolves had nothing to do with you going away but for Jacob’s sake they did nothing. Absolutely nothing to reprimand those bloodsuckers for snatching away your life; because you can tell me anything you’d like, but that won't change my mind into blaming them. Especially that bitch Bella. I swore to kill her you know, if she ever turned up in La Push and even to this day, the threat still stands and Edwardoggie knows about it.’

You can’t say you were totally shocked with his words, but still ‘This was not a way to deal with the situation Embry. Bella did-‘

‘Oh I know what she did and believe me, she’s the one to blame. If it wasn’t for her, you would never go to that vampire lair and you would be by my side, perfectly safe and secure. And you know that _____.’ He throws back at you, his eyes glued to the road ahead of you and anywhere but you.

Honestly, you doubted it a bit in your heart, but it was still a rather solid possibility.

‘Even if I grew apart from them though, I still visited your father every day. Jack was adamant in your ability to survive even the most dangerous situations and always believed you would be safe even if you never came back. He saw true nobility in your actions but on the contrary, I'm just too selfish to accept that outcome. Still, Jack was the only one that could calm me down and I kept visiting him day by day. In a way, he was my only link into believing you ever existed in the first place. That small vampire Alice also kept me updated on how you were doing; not all the details I believe, but at least the fact you were alright and kicking. She is the only cool one among the Cullens. Jacob did nothing but run behind Bella, the rest of the wolves were too occupied with the newborns and no one was really remembering you.’

So it was like that; everyone had simply gone back to their lives, acting as if you never existed, as if nothing happened and not one of them had been taken at all. Honestly, it was kind of disappointing and made your heart sink inside your chest that not even Jacob or Bella gave a single damn about your captivity and it still hurts a bit deep down into your soul that they never even tried retrieving you. They never even tried; they just left you there, unprotected to do the Volturi’s dirty work. In a strange way though, out of a twisted turn of events and as if your own soul had finally decided to latch on to something that would give you purpose and a will to drive your life, you had already made amends somehow with being in the Volturi as their lap dog and hound at the same time. Yes, you still hated Caius and Jane with a strong passion, but you had actually made a few friends and fallen for one of them, despite the hard time he was giving you all the freaking time. These were simple facts you could no longer ignore or lie to yourself about.

All these thoughts and warm feelings twirl inside of your mind peacefully, allowing you to smile kindly for the first time in what appeared as a long while; it felt alien at first, but true nonetheless ‘They aren't all that bad you know.’ You confess truthfully, looking up at him ‘Some of them protect me fiercely and others make me feel truly at home. When you get to know them well, you realize they are still beings with emotions, no matter how many centuries have passed.’

Embry can’t hold back his humorless chuckle ‘You mean the ones that put you on a leash and made you bring along your trainer to keep an eye on you.’ he comments spitefully, making you tighten your jaw.

‘Demetri is the one who convinced them that I should come here. So be more lenient towards him, because if it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be here right now. And as for the restrainer, it’s nothing more than a simple ornament to keep me safe.’

‘They are cold-blooded leech killers ______.’

‘They are immortal beings with feelings Embry. There are a whole lot more to them than what meets the eye. Even if at times they are an utter pain in the ass.’ You say.

‘I’ve seen how _Demetri _looks at you ____’ Embry spits out Demetri’s name as if its mere mention was enough to poison him ‘I don’t like him at all and want him nowhere near you. I swear all you have to do is give me the call and I’ll gladfully kill-‘

‘Don’t even think about it!’ you lash out, anger painting your voice and face, taking Embry by surprise, making him steer the wheel sharply to the side before managing to steady the car once again.

‘You won’t touch a hair of his head.’ you order. _It was going to be you, the one that made his life living hell._

Embry presses his lips together in dismay and says nothing whatsoever, even if you could still understand that he was boiling like a hot pot inside. Averting your gaze back on the road and deciding it was best to open that Hell Gate on a later time than now that your will was unstable and angered, you see the car passing the sign that welcomed you in Port Angeles long before you enter the small town. Darkness had already started to spread around and it only brought with it the piercing coldness and silver mist lingering about the streets, even if it was early spring; around these areas, all seasons were relatively cooler than normal the whole year 'round. Huge pine trees tower well above the highroads and the small shops and houses are spreading until the eye can see in the far horizon, all of them being brightly lit and welcoming, betraying their residents’ good-willed personalities. You always liked hanging around here, not because it was a source of entertainment with the various bars and coffee shops, but because they had a cinema and game stores. Everything you could ask for really.

The car eventually comes to a stop right in front of the small square where the pedestrian area began. If anyone wanted to get to the majority of the shops, he would have to walk down it as it was located in the farthest corner of the small town, near the woods. Due to the cold night though, the place was relatively empty, with only a few couples or people walking around.

‘What do you say we call a truce and enjoy our night together?’ Embry suggested with a large smile, his tone lightening up considerably as both of you got out of the car and stood side by side ‘It’s the first time in a century we are alone baby doll. Might as well enjoy it.’ he simply shrugs.

In his words, you feel your mood lighten as well, as your best friend passes his hand over your shoulders and rests it there, exactly as he did when he was in the mood for some mischievousness in the past, when your lives weren’t polluted by vampires, Distorters and werewolves. Simpler times. Times that seemed so far away now that you found yourselves among the utter chaos. Passing your hand on his waist in return, you cup yourself on his side, feeling the heat radiated from his body warm you up just enough to feel comfortable. Embry of course doesn’t protest at all and both of you start walking to the direction of the cinema, having approximately half an hour in front of you until the movie starts.

At that point both of you indulge to one another. Laughing and joking and messing with each other, your loud laughs reverberate like gunshots inside the silence but you pay no attention to whoever you might be disturbing. All the sadness and anger that polluted your hearts for all those months is wiped off from both of you like a thick layer of dust and the only thing remaining is the polished happiness to finally be free and yourselves and together. Embry buys both of you candy and you proceed to joke around with him for his suddenly longer hair, messing them playfully and saying he must look like a poodle when he transforms. In response, the man picks you up with no problem at all, throwing you over his shoulder and proceeding to walk down the road proudly, slapping your butt and ignoring your laughs and fists on his back as you demanded to be let down immediately. All the man says is that he needs to get the vampires out of you so no walking and more butt-slapping if you didn’t admit you liked werewolves over vampires.

What he didn’t expect though, was you easily tackling him to the ground as easily as you would mess his hair, sitting on his back and demanding him to admit you are awesome. The surprised man does so after a few more playful threats and teases and gets on his feet as you point out it was about time to go to the movies. You were going to see –what else?- a notorious action movie that came out just this past week, called Suicide Squad and, being the huge fans you were, you simply could not shut up about it.

It felt like home; being around Embry’s warm aura was utterly comforting and provided you with the calmness and warmth you so desperately needed in your cold life. Things were not complicated with Embry; being around him didn’t require hard thinking from your own part, it came naturally. Deep inside your mind, you knew too well he was probably the saner choice for you. You loved him, there was no doubt about it, and you knew he loved you as well. But things had changed since you went to Voltera and met Demetri. Things were not the same anymore. But what if things were the same still? Yes, Demetri knocked you off your feet even by looking at you, but maybe you could find true happiness right next to Embry. Right next to the man with the warm smile and the kind heart that was all too innocent.

‘I’m telling you the Joker is insane! He actually carved off his own face!’ Embry points out as you walk down the dark sidewalk towards the cinema.

‘Oh, I believe you; Harley Quinn actually took off the moment she realized she was pregnant and he never even searched for her for a whole year until she willingly returned.’

You point out at your best friend.

‘Let’s not forget the first Robin.’ He says.

‘Nor what he did to Batgirl.’

As you were about to walk through the huge cinema doors, hand resting carefully around Embry’s elbow and with your heart filled with calmness and happiness, right as Embry said something you failed to hear altogether, a wild shiver goes down your spine like a tidal wave. You froze on the spot; your heart literally stopped inside your chest and your mind went completely blank, ordering your feet to come to an abrupt stop right where you were standing. Eyes growing as big as two dinner plates, hands suddenly trembling, you almost had a heart-attack as you realized the hair in the back of your head stood up because someone was watching you. A certain someone.

Demetri.

It was him. Even if you didn’t turn around to see him, you knew his watchful eyes were nailed on your back and burning away your skin, only to reach towards your heart and melt it away. You would have recognized his stare among a huge crowd; you would realize it was him even if he was nowhere to be seen, simply because it always seemed to have and elicit a special reaction from you. It made your insides melt away and your stomach to drop as a wave of raw emotion washed over you. But still, as the split second of surprise passed, another, just as strong of a feeling washed over you. Rage. Pure and unstoppable rage. Running through your heart, poisoning your veins and mind, it almost made you turn around and smite the vampire to oblivion. Actually, you did turn, your eyes scanning the whole place and locating almost immediately the dark figure looming on the end of the street and watching you piercingly while completely enveloped by the shadows. Embry asked something right next to you. You never heard him.

Well, insufferable vampire, if nobody did tell you recently this is _your _town, _your _territory and _you _will do as you well please. Nobody can stop you, nobody can deny you anything. So screw you immortal Casanova, this was your time to make him pay with the very same coin he did these past months.

Without a warning, you grab Embry by the hand and completely ignoring the ticket booth guy who looked at you expectantly and curiously, you literally drag a very surprised Embry out and towards a nearby alleyway, away from any prying eyes and certainly away from Demetri’s eyes. Rage made your ears ring and your heart pounded loudly against your chest as you walk hastily towards the middle of the alleyway, enveloping both you and Embry in the deep shadows and offering yourself a shelter to do as you please.

Your best friend though had not seen the vampire and was completely oblivious to the war going on inside your head, nor what plans you had. So it was only natural for him to look at you like you had gone completely mad and in a desperate attempt to see what ticked you off this time, he gazes all around the silent alleyway.

‘_____ what is going on?’ he softly asks, as he sees you turn towards him with the very same expression one who is ready to smite the world into oblivion has.

‘I’m sorry Embry, I-I just need a second.’ You mumble, pacing up and down in front of him, throwing a hand on your forehead and sighing loudly. Reminding him either of a cornered animal, or a predator ready to pounce hard on its prey. Surely enough, your hands had clentched in strong fists and your breathing had turned shallow.

Embry raises an eyebrow ‘Is everything okay baby doll?’

‘I’m not sure.’ You admit.

‘Well, can I help?’

‘I am confused and there is only one way to solve it.’ you blurt out, turning to look at him in his confused almond colored eyes that nonetheless try to keep a certain amount of reason and pacify you kindly by offering you a reassuring smile. He appeared so innocent right at that moment; like the teenager he truly was and the one you had fallen in love with before Demetri came into your life.

‘Can I help then? You can count on me you know.’ He shrugs and smiles smugly.

‘I guess you can.’

With one decisive step, you cross the distance between you in a split second, giving him zero time to react on what you were going to do next, nor give yourself enough time to think about it as well. Throwing your hands to tangle behind his neck in a light grip, you lean up on your toes and kiss him with everything you had.

For a split second, nothing happened. Under your grasp and the touch of your lips, you can sense the surprise shooting inside Embry like electricity as you take him completely by surprise at first; his tall body grows rigid but he makes no move to neither retreat from your grasp nor pull away. Fighting his surprise off, all you can feel is his hands gently, carefully wrapping around your waist as his lips half open yours and your tongues tangle with each other, filling you with a honey like taste as you kiss one another. His touch is extremely warm, in a bit unpleasant way, but you try to push it away from your mind.

You had imagined this moment for years. From the moment two years back that you realized you were actually in love with Embry, you had imagined this moment and all of its little details that would have made it one of the most special days of your life. Like the pleasant feeling of his body cupping perfectly against yours, his heavenly taste and presence sweeping you off your feet and making your knees weak. The dream of his strong arms around your petite figure as your tongues tangled with each other and the numbing effect it would have with your brain. After it, you would no longer be the same; you would be together and nothing would break you apart since you were meant for each other. What a blissful moment it would be; you could hardly wait back in the days when you thought about it, patiently waiting for the boy to realize it as well. You waited for him and only imagined how it would be like.

Alas, now that it was that very moment, it was nothing like you had imagined it.

Embry’s kiss was too careful, too collected and innocent. His hands around your waist were touching your back gently, gingerly. You struggled on your toes to reach out for him and kiss him. And there was no sweeping feeling; your very soul was left completely unmoved by the kiss, on the contrary feeling rather bad about what was happening, wanting to break free and get away from the man. You didn’t feel in love with Embry anymore; on the contrary, it felt like exactly that: kissing your childhood friend. Your friend. There was no spark, no passion, there was nothing there. You expected the perfect kiss and what you got was disappointed and guilty. It was nothing like the kisses you and Demetri shared and it was wrong of you to even think all kisses were like that.

With your hands pressing against his chest, you break the kiss, leaning yourself back to look upon him, embarashment painting your cheeks bright red.

‘Embry I-‘ you mumble.

‘Don’t worry baby doll, it’s me, you don’t have to worry.’ He says and leans in once more, but you avoid him.

‘No, this was not what I wanted-‘

‘Calm down; I know you love me too ____.’

‘No, let me go Embry.’ You struggle trying to lower his hands and get out of his grasp, but he was too strong and unable to understand ‘I need to stop this ple-‘

In a single split second, Embry was holding you and the next second he wasn't.

In the next second, a thunderous growl of pure malice and hatred erupted from a true beast it seemed somewhere behind you and the next thing you felt was the cold air rushing to touch the spots Embry once held you; suddenly you were free and your heart almost leaped from your chest as your lungs inhaled a deep breath of air now that you were released. Alas, the happiness did not last long as you saw a sea of sand blond hair standing right in front of you and someone falling limply down on the pavement with a loud curse.

Demetri was standing tall and proud right in front of you, back turned protectively towards you and shielding you away from any other, as the man released a hellish growl that resemblances the growl of a panther and a lion combined; his lean and muscular body bends a bit forward in attack position and you don’t need to see him to know his venomous teeth are bared threatenly towards the enemy as he looked down upon him like it was a mere pest he needed to get rid of and fast. The enemy that was none other than Embry. The man had been catapulted against the ground with sheer power, releasing you from his grip and hit fair and square in the chest. Even if it didn’t do any major damage, it was more than enough to knock all air out of his lungs and leave him gasping for air. The man falls down but out of reflex stands up in a flash, ready to fight and transform into a wolf as he gazed maliciously upon Demetri, his hands and body shaking violently as his impending phasing was coming a step closer and closer the more he glared upon the undead man who retaliated the hateful stare fair and square. Seeing you behind Demetri though, did nothing to help him at all and with horror you realized things were going to get nasty and fast if you may add.

‘I thought the lady told you to get away from her, you f*cking mutt.’ Demetri spat threatenly towards Embry, his voice sounding almost dual by the low growl that buzzed in his neck.

‘What are you doing here bloody leech?’ Embry replied, his head twitching as he took a threatening step towards Demetri.

‘Keeping her safe from lowly mutts like yourself.’ Demetri takes a calculated step towards Embry panicking you instantly; you had seen this particular step on many missions and it usually ended with the death of whoever stood in front of him. In this realization, your blood runs cold and your breath is caught in your lungs.

‘She wasn’t threatened by anyone other than you motherf*cker!’

‘I’ll make sure your death is a painful one.’ Demetri responds sadistically.

‘Bring it on bloodsucker; I wanna see you f*cking try!’ Embry challenges him back, clearly not knowing who he was dealing with.

‘STOP! YOU GUYS STOP!’

Raising your hands to your sides, you take a decisive step past Demetri’s shoulder only to get in the middle of the two raging men, raising your hands to stop both of them from advancing against each other any further. Your head snaps sharply to look at both of them, throwing threatening glares that warn them not to take a single step more; not that they could charge against one another without passing through you first and it was damn sure you would get hurt either way or stop them by force. You were actually counting on that single fact as you ejected yourself between them fiercely, heart pounding and thoughts silencing violently inside the empty valleys of your mind; both of them could never hurt you -you knew as much- so they wouldn’t risk charging against one another with you in the middle of the field of fire. If there was a fight between them though, you were a hundred percent deadly sure Embry would never walk away from it in one piece and you just weren’t prepared to see your best friend die right before your fearful eyes. Demetri was absolute raw lethal power in battle and you sincerely doubted Embry was trained even near enough to counter him in any way. So instead, you did the only thing you could do.

‘Both of you, stop this crap this instant!’ you order them, glaring angrily at them to make sure no attempts would be made, head turning from one man to the other ‘No one can charge against the other without going through me first!’

‘Get the f*ck away _____, I’m going to rid you of this *sshole once and for all.’ Embry releases a low, threatening wolf growl, his filled with fury eyes never straying from Demetri, who only takes another threatening step forward and you practically rest your hands on his chest to stop him from decapitating Embry right now.

‘Do not even DARE talk to her like that.’ Demetri spits at the younger boy, lean undead body shaking with anger but stopping nonetheless in front of you and scaring you for a split second by the sheer magnitude of his anger; he looked positively deranged to hear the way Embry had talked to you, his once red eyes turning blacker than the night above you.

‘Demetri. Demetri please.’ You gently coo, drawing the vampire’s attention. His coal black eyes focus on you and for a moment, their gaze appears to soften.

Which only urges you to take advantage of his sudden calmness to spare Embry and the bloodbath.

‘Please, let me talk to Embry alone. I’ll come find you when I am done. Alright?’ you gently coo, trying to calm him down even more, looking up and deep into his eyes with your pleading own.

In your words, his gaze snaps back at Embry ‘If he touches you-‘ he warns with a growl.

But you interupt him ‘He’s not going to harm me... I promise. Please.’ 

Demetri sighs but spares you one single gaze ‘Two minutes. Then you come with me; end of the story.’

It takes you a second to blink, but when you do, he is already gone. Releasing a breath you didn’t know you were holding, you turn to a rather dumbfounded Embry and snatching him by his wrist harshly, you start pulling him towards the dark woods in the back of the alley. Neither one of you talks along the way, but you can clearly feel his anger radiating off his body like tidal waves, hitting your back and melting the back of your head away while his body still trembled with the shocks of his near-phasing. He had dodged a bullet back there; he had actually reached so close to death you would like to personaly slap him square int he face for beaing so reckless, alas, this was not the time nor the place to do so. Not after everything you had done to him. But there were so many things you would like to talk about right now, mostly explain yourself, and you needed to do it in a more secluded place, where Demetri would not hear you. At least you hoped so.

Reaching a small circle of trees, you feel Embry yank his hand hard away from your grasp as if you had just burned him seriously. Out of reflex, you turn to look at him, only to see him step away from you and towards the largest tree in front of you, proceeding to punch it with everything he had, screaming loudly. The tree shakes violently and Embry swears out angrily, making you flinch. Knowing him, it was evident he was beyond himself with rage but the things you needed to say could wait no longer. You weren't even sure if you would have any other chance to get things straight.

‘Embry please hear me out.’ You try to keep your voice as steady as possible, swallowing away the lump in your neck and watching him closely as he swore and punched the tree once again.

‘Hear you?! What for?! Are you going to explain why the absolute f*ck the bloodsucker is here?’ he yells at you, his voice laced with anger and frustration as he nods widely towards the direction of the town.

‘I didn’t know Demetri was here Embry. I didn’t know he followed me!’ you try to reason.

‘Of course you didn’t! That leech wants to mess with everything! I say I kill him now and be done with it!’ he screams.

You grit your teeth ‘You won’t lay a finger on him, you promised! And don’t call him like that!’ it was your own time to raise the tone your voice seriously, anger bubbling inside of you and making you clench your fists into two iron vices.

But Embry was having none of that ‘Did I hear you correctly ____?! You are DEFENDING HIM? HIM?! THE ONE THAT TOOK YOU AWAY FROM ME?!’

‘NOBODY TOOK ME AWAY FROM YOU!’ you scream back, losing your already thin grip on your hot-blooded temper, but as you do you instantly regret it, trying desperately to calm yourself down, you try to keep your voice at bay ‘I chose it on my own to protect all of you! If I didn’t stay there, the Volturi would wipe you all from the face of the earth! So I stayed there willingly! And out of all the people inside the castle, Demetri made sure I survived whatever the hell was thrown at me!’

Embry throws his hands in the air exasperatedly, pacing back and forth in front of you constantly, unable to stay at one place for too long due to his rising temper and frustration. He couldn't believe his ears and surely enough, if it was just a few months back, you wouldn't believe yourself as well.

‘So you ARE DEFENDING HIM! THE MAN THAT KEPT YOU THERE! DON’T BULLSHIT ME _____, I KNOW HE WAS THE ONE TO BRING YOU BACK AT THE CASTLE WHEN YOU ESCAPED! AND TO ACTUALLY COME HERE WITH YOU, WHO THE HELL DOES HE THINK HE IS?!’ he spat.

‘HE KEEPS ME SAFE EMBRY! He is the one that saved me many times and I owe him that. He could have easily snapped my neck in half or let me get eaten but he didn’t! And that’s something if you fail to see it!’ you try desperatetly to defend the vampire, to reason with the werewolf and get a grip on your emotions yourself.

‘OH YEAH?’ he nods mockingly, looking at you like you were a true lunatic ‘THEN WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO STAY WITH HIM IN THE MOTEL AT FORKS ______?!’ he spits out, taking you by surprise ‘OH YES, I KNOW ABOUT THAT! I KNOW YOU STAYED TOGETHER OVER THERE, SAM AND PAUL SAW YOU TWO! AND HERE WE ARE WITH YOU TAKING HIS BLOODY SIDE! I CANNOT EVEN RECOGNISE YOU ANYMORE!’

Words choke inside your neck as all you can do is look at him dumbfounded, hot tears starting to bubble on the edges of your (e/c) eyes ‘I did not change Embry! Yes, sure, some things are different now that I have seen a few things or two but I continue to be the same _____ I was before!’ you desperately try to defend yourself, your hand flying to cover the spot your heart in an act of sincerety as you take a single step towards him, but Embry raises his hand to prevent you from coming anywhere near him.

‘You are not the same.’ He whispers and his voice is trembling with the anger he tries so desperately to choke down, eyes also shining with unshed tears, just like you ‘I know about the ways they tortured you, I know about the dungeons, that bloodsucker Jane, Caius; damn, I even know about Luce. Alice was kind enough to let me know all the gory details of how they have been treating you, so seeing you now, actually defending him almost drives me mad! Why are you defending him ____? WHY?!’

In his scream, you shake violently and unwilligly. Your mind goes off and your heart stops inside your chest as your mouth opens but no words come out of it. Pure and impenetrable surprise and heartbreak has taken over your brain, clouding all of your reasonable thinking; he was not supposed to know that! Embry was not supposed to know all those things about what happened to you and to even think Alice had told him was enough to drive you mad. You sincerely hoped she wouldn’t say anything. She wouldn’t share with anyone the horrors you had experienced out of your own stupidity; but she had done and you could hardly even begin to imagine what that must have done to poor innocent Embry...

And like that, all of your emotions must have been clearly written all over your face ‘You were not supposed to know all this Embry…!’ you cry out, the tears finally overflowing and cascading your beautiful face.

‘I had to know _____, I had to know how they had been treating you and I forced Alice to tell.’ He admits lowly, swallowing hard and looking at you with nothing but sadness.

You shake your head ‘Why did you do that?! I was trying to keep you safe! I was trying to keep you away from the nightmare! It was my fault I had been punished Embry and I didn’t want to say anything because if I didn’t misbehave, nothing would have happened.’

This last one sentence clearly had an impact on him; his mouth fell open in surprise and his eyebrows met over his eyes as his face became a mask of pure anger and spite

‘They are monsters ______! Those filthy bloodsuckers had FUN as they TORTURED YOU _____! WHY CAN’T YOU SEE HOW THEY HAD BEEN TREATING YOU?’

‘BECAUSE THEY NEVER MISTREATED ME ON PURPOSE! I WAS THE ONE TO BREAK THE RULES, I WAS THE ONE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE LIBERTIES THEY HAD GIVEN ME EMBRY AND NO MATTER HOW MUCH THEY TORTURED ME, HOW MUCH IT PAINED ME AND DROVE ME OVER THE EDGE, I KNEW THAT I WAS THE ONE TO CAUSE IT ON MYSELF!’ you finally snap, screaming at the man with everything you had and releasing finally all these feelings you had kept to yourself all those months. Hidden away from any light, you believed that nobody would ever get to reveal them, yet here you were now, screaming and crying and finally letting loose on all the emotions you had been hidding safely away ‘IF I DID AS I WAS TOLD, I WOULD NEVER GET HURT BY THEM! ARO WAS VERY SPECIFIC ABOUT IT AND I WENT AHEAD AND SPAT ON HIS FACE!’

‘TELL ME YOU WEREN’T IN PAIN, TELL ME YOU DIDN’T WISH FOR SOMEONE TO SAVE YOU AS YOU WERE TORTURED AND I WILL BELIEVE YOU THAT YOU KNEW YOU WERE PUNISHED FOR A GOOD REASON!’ he demands to know.

‘I WISHED TO BE SAVED EMBRY! I WISHED I WAS SAFE AND SOUND! OF COURSE, I AM NOT A MADWOMAN! I WAS HURTING EVERY DAY AND WISHING FOR DEATH TO TAKE ME BUT I KNEW I HAD CAUSED IT UPON MYSELF. AND YOU KNOW WHAT? YES, I HAVE CHANGED! I AM NOT THE SAME ANYMORE! AND YOU WANT TO KNOW WHY?! BECAUSE I AM A FUCKING KILLER! I KILL INNOCENT VAMPIRES FOR SPORT AND NONE OF THEM CAN STAND IN MY WAY! LIKE THE LITTLE GIRL YOU SAW ME KILL IN THE BATTLEFIELD! I HAVE KILLED HUNDREDS LIKE HER, MEN AND WOMEN AND CHILDREN ALIKE! I AM A KILLER AND I CANNOT RETURN BACK ANYMORE! I WAKE UP SCREAMING EVERY TIME NIGHTMARES COME TO ME BECAUSE I SEE THE FACES OF THE PEOPLE I KILLED! IT WILL HAUNT ME FOREVER BUT I WILL ENDURE IT BECAUSE I KNOW I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO FOLLOW MY ORDERS BOTH FOR YOURS AND MY SAKE! I DID IT TO PROTECT YOU! ALL OF YOU!’ you scream at his face, finally allowing all the bottled up emotions to be released to the winds around you; all the pain and tears and sorrow and everything you had endured came rushing out of you in a huge tidal wave, shaking everything to the ground and emptying you completely; which only allowed your mind to empty and be completely consumed by the sheer anger energizing you to the core.

It ran through your veins in abundance like hot poison, numbing your mind and allowing you to actually admit what you were feeling all this time. And boy oh boy, how much you had to say. In the end of the line though, it did not deprive you from the feeling you had done everything in your power to keep your loved ones safe, so it was ungrateful of them to actually criticize you about it. You had done what you thought was best and they were in no position to criticize your decisions. Let alone curse upon your Masters.

Embry had seen you only a few times lose control like that and just like those other times, he was awestruck exactly where he was standing.

‘And despite all that, you still believe they have the right to hold you there?’ he breathes out spitefully ‘THAT THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO KEEP YOU AWAY FROM US, FROM ME AND HAVE A DOGGIE FOLLOW YOU AROUND TO KEEP AN EYE ON YOU? LIKE A MERE F*CKTARD LIKE HIM WOULD EVER BE ABLE TO STOP US FROM KILLING HI-‘

‘YOU WILL NOT TOUCH HIM! ONLY OVER MY DEAD BODY WILL YOU LAY A HAND ON HIM, YOU HEAR ME?! IS YOU CAN’T ACCEPT HIM, AT LEAST ACCEPT MY WILL TO KEEP HIM AS SAFE AS HE KEPT ME! I WILL NOT ALLOW ANY OF YOU TO CRITICISE HIM OR WHAT HE DID TO HELP ME WHEN I WAS LEFT BACK THERE TO DIE!!!’ you yell outraged at him.

‘WHY? BECAUSE HE IS A DOGGIE TO THE BOOGEYMAN?! OH, BOO HOO, IT WILL HURT THE FEELINGS OF THE UNDEAD PRINCESSES ISN’T IT?! BECAUSE I CAN SEE NO OTHER REASON IN NOT ELIMINATING HIM AS SOON AS I SEE HIM!’ Embry snaps, his voice tangling with his wolf growls.

His last sentence though, was what drove you over the line completely and utterly ‘IT’S NOT BECAUSE THE VOLTURI WILL MIND EMBRY! IT’S BECAUSE !I! WILL MIND! DEMETRI IS THE MAN I LOVE AND NO ONE IS GOING TO LAY A HAND ON HIM AS LONG AS I AM ALIVE, DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?! I LOVE HIM!’

Silence.

Absolute and impenetrable silence prevails after your words are spoken, with Embry failing to analyze what you just said and you actually feeling your tears well up inside your eyes and stream down your face for a second time this evening. It took you solely a moment to trully understand what you had actually said. And it froze you on the spot. You had actually said it out loud; all the emotional strain, all the pain and pushing you had been enduring for the last months, all came out in a single sentence that was able to freeze hell over forever. Embry simply stood there; could not believe what he was hearing and inside the silence, you could swear you heard his heart break into a million little painful pieces; but there was nothing you could do anymore or going back when the cat was finally out of the bag. The truth had been revealed and it had hurt both of you more severely than it should have. You were utterly and unspeakably reckless and you hurt Embry irreparably, you knew it and you were sorry about it, but there was nothing you could do to change things. Not anymore it seemed.

You were desperately and utterly in love with Demetri and there was no going back from that.

‘You-you..’ Embry inevitably breaks the silence, choking on his words and desperately trying not to lose your mind over the power of the pain washing over him ‘You are in love with him?’

There was no way for you to speak right now; the knot forming on your throat had cut off your air supply, let alone your voice, so instead, you nod.

‘And the kiss?’

‘I-it was a mistake Embry. I’m sorry.’ you admit, shaking your head as you cried.

‘YOU ARE IN LOVE WITH A VAMPIRE?! A COLD BLOODED LEECH? THE ONE WHO TORTURED YOU AND SNATCHED YOU AWAY FROM YOUR FAMILY, AWAY FROM ME? WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY BEST FRIEND?! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY _____?! YOU WERE NOT LIKE THAT! YOU WERE HONEST AND KIND AND INSANE AND I LOVED YOU FOR THAT AND NOW YOU BETRAY ME BY TELLING ME YOU LOVE YOUR CAPTURER? THE DEMON WALKING THE EARTH?!’

Embry was beyond himself with anger. Pain, sadness and betrayal coursed through his mind and very soul as he proceeded to scream at you, cursing Demetri and you all at the same time, breaking your heart into millions of pieces and making your body shake with anger and sorrowful pain for your actions. Because yes, you deserved all the slurs and curses and everything he was throwing at you since you treated him like a toy, but Demetri was not to blame and there was no way you would accept any curses headed for the breathtaking vampire that managed to steal your heart from the moment he first saw you. Embry continued to scream and curse and cry and hit the tree and ignore that the leaves above his head had started to move on their own; he failed to see the ground shaking and the stones starting to levitate in the air, obeying completely to an unseen power that had the energy to make them ascend. The whole nature was coming alive both around you and him, the dirt and stones and fallen leaves being picked up in the air and the leaves on the trees shaking violently. The wind coursed mercilessly among the forest as everything levitated around you.

Finally, you snapped.

‘ENOUGH!!!’

Everything happens in slow motion. Stones, sticks, leaves are catapulted towards every possible way, branches and even trees are completely uprooted from the ground as your restrainer cracks and falls on the ground, allowing your sheer power to rush out raw and rutheless, snapping the reality that surrounded you. All surrounding things were destroyed in a mere heartbeat, a mere blink of an eye, and their pieces were catapulted everywhere trying to hit nonexistent targets as your power comes out in full blast; destructive and merciless, it leaves nothing on its path, destroying the surrounding area and turning it into a barren world you had commanded to be obliterated. Embry is taken just as much aback as you were for a split second, but you continue to be focused on the young man standing in front of you, completely beyond yourself with rage.

‘I WILL NOT TOLERATE YOU INSULTING DEMETRI EVER AGAIN! THINGS ARE LIKE THAT; I AM IN LOVE WITH HIM AND NOTHING IS GOING TO CHANGE IT. I AM SORRY FOR EVERYTHING, BUT I CANNOT DENY MY FEELINGS ANYMORE!’

Your sudden outburst is what makes Embry freeze and finally grow cold. He looks at you, eyes laced with the tears he would not let fall as the reality dawns to him. He had lost you and there was no way of taking you back.

With a loud scream, the man punches the tree behind him, managing to send it off flying to the other side of the forest at the very same moment that a violent shiver shots through him and you see him transform into his wolf form right in front of your bewildered eyes. The huge grey wolf lets out a piercing cry before he turns around and starts running off inside the darkness of the forest, leaving you behind and alone to reflect on your actions.

All you could think of though was that there was no going back from here; you had utterly destroyed Embry by revealing your love for Demetri. But it was something that would be obvious the more time passed. You were not going to lie to anyone anymore, not even yourself. You were way past that already.

‘Seems like the wolf cannot handle the truth properly.’ You hear a voice say from behind you.

It came literally out of nowhere, catching you by surprise and scaring you to the core. You abruptly turn around trying to find the enemy and eliminate him on the spot, but all you see is Demetri picking up the last remnants of your restrainer before he offers you a sly smirk, staring you straight into your eyes. His skin appeared to be almost glowing by itself under the faint moonlight filtering through the trees and his red eyes shone brightly in the dim light, looking straight into your soul curiously but a bit surprised nonetheless. He was looking at you as if he was unable to fill his mind with your image, engrave you forever inside his memories. Seeing him, you swallow hard and open your mouth to respond, but the man was no longer standing in front of you.

In a split second, you felt an iron grip tighten around your waist and you were pulled against a cold but sturdy chest as a hand tangles in your hair decisively and Demetri connects his lips with yours passionately, knocking all air out of your lungs.

Earth was lost under you.


	36. Chapter 33 Entwined With You

Demetri and you had shared quite a lot of kisses in the past; that you could admit. Many of them were heated, if not all, as well as making your heart pound loudly inside your chest, threatening to burst out and leave you gasping for air desperately. Alas, nothing in the past could come close or be ever compared with the kiss the two of you shared right now. There was nothing that could even resemblance remotely the feelings that shredded through your chest wildly right at this very moment.

As he connected his cold lips with yours, his hands flying on your waist to desperately pull you against him, your bodies cuped against each other perfectly, like they were meant to do just that right from the beginning of time itself. Yet, it was the feelings washing over you that made earth disappear under your feet, allowing you to float inside the intoxicating delirium. The moment you embraced one another with sheer power, paying no mind to the pain produced by his inhuman strength through your body, it was the very same moment your heart literally bloomed with emotions of pure, unstained and unaltered love for the man. Your mind melted away completely, taking away with it all of your thoughts and worries as your body took over complete control; your hands flew to tangle themselves inside his perfect hair, as you leaned your whole body weight solely on him. The breathtaking taste of his mouth, the dazzling sense of his cold arms around you as he kissed you into oblivion were all too enough to make you realize one thing: you were destined to be with this man; there was no other that you could be with and it was of no importance how he had treated you in the past, how he lied or possibly mistreated you. All that mattered was right now; now that you had him inside your desperate arms and were in no willing position to let him go, not now, not ever. Rejoicing as he growled deeply inside the kiss. Shivering as his sturdy and nimble hands caressed your back at the very same time that his tongue played tricks with your own, pulling you inside a dark game of dominance and lust that was oh so overwhelming to try and resist it. Not that you wanted; not that you cared. All you wanted right now, was him, the perfect and snarky vampire who had snatched your heart away and was unwilling to hand it back.

Not that you would ever ask for it.

Not that you cared.

Nothing mattered; not the lies, not the anger, not anyone.

All that mattered to you was him.

Him and the complete love you felt for him. And you knew all too well deep inside of you, that no matter how much you tried to deny it, the feelings Demetri awakened inside of you could never be reawakened or ignited by anyone other than him. Because no one was him and you were too blinded yourself right from the start to actually believe the opposite. And so like that, you finally allow yourself to melt away inside his cold but comforting embrace, indulging into an intimacy from which you were sure you would never recover. Sighing inside the kiss you hold onto him with everything you had, hands clenching into fists on his sturdy chest, trapping the soft fabric of his jacket in your hands, as you kept ignoring the burning sensation spreading in your chest as your lungs begged you for air; these were all of no importance. Because as Demetri twirled his tongue with yours, as he sighed and tugged on your lower lip, earning deep sighs from your side before he growled lightly as he sealed his mouth over yours again and again, every single time it threw your mere existence off balance and surrendered you to him completely. If possible, you wished to hold him like that forever. If possible, you wished to have him all forever. Even if it meant surrendering everything else to that simple wish.

You would do it.

Without a single thought.

Because your home, your true home, was with him all along.

He was yours and you were his.

It was an end-game right from the very start.

When Demetri realizes your need for air, he breaks the kiss breathlessly, leaving you to inhale a sharp breath and seek out his lips once more, with the man chuckling softly and kissing you once again playfully; lightly. There was no mocking tone in his action, there was no cockiness; there was only relief and happiness that radiated off from him like a wave of cold air as you took advantage of the opportunity and close proximity of your bodies to shove yourself further inside his embrace, hiding your face in the crook of his neck tenderly allowing him to just hold you like that for a second, forgetting the whole world around you and living just for the sake of one another. Your eyes close and you inhale deeply, feeling his hands roam on your back tenderly and his nose burrying itself inside your (h/c) hair that were an a small dissaray due to the previous events. But the dazzling vampire found you oh so beautiful, so tantalizingly tempting..like sin. Like a dreadful, murderously inviting sin that would burn and destroy everything in its path, cities, civilizations, men and whole worlds, yet you were right in front of him, finally able to be grasped and worshiped like you trully deserved. And dear Gods, how much he looked forward to proving it to you; to utterly and ultimately worship you.

But there were still things needed to be said between the two of you, things weighting you down; you needed to share your thoughts with the vampire you were so desperately in love with and for the first time, you were not going to hold back anything anymore. No more games. No more hiding. This was what the realization illuminating your mind ordered you to do and for the first time, you found no objections to offer, no fear weighting you down. So with a small step, you distance yourself from the man while at the same time battling the feeling of longing with everything you had, while Demetri's quizzical look deepens when he sees you pass a hand through your hair and sigh deeply, looking at any other surface but him. Honestly, what you were about to do went against all of your defense mechanisms and if you looked at him right now, your poorly pulled together thoughts would scatter in the night.

'I need to talk to you about what has happened lately Demetri.' You state as a matter of fact-ly, starting to pace back and forth in front of the man who can only watch you curiously, trying the best you can to keep your voice calm and collected; the complete opposite of how you actually felt 'Because as you can see, I have already turned my life to shit.'

Demetri's gaze alters from one moment to the other; at first it was puzzled and curious, failing once again in his undead life since he met you to understand what was going on –especially inside your head- and then altered to that of complete caution. He visibly stiffened, his eyebrows meeting over his piercing eyes, turning to an utter statue right where he was standing; yet he seemed to patiently await for your words as he watched your unnerved self pacing up and down vigorously, trying to burn your anxiety away with just that.

'Feel free to voice your mind ______.' He carefully uttered, his voice too formal. For a strange reason, this cautiousness helped you place your thoughts in a row.

The words you uttered next, were as stern as they were well-thought out.

'I don't care anymore.'

Silence greeted you the moment you spoke up, your words falling on the eerily silent ground like an echo from the centuries past. Without realizing it, you had turned to stare completely at Demetri, hands open in front of you and body posture straight and prideful. From right there, you had a front row seat to the alteration of Demetri's expression in all of its glory. First he was cautious; that was to be expected given the condition in which he was seeing you, rather unable to keep yourself under control, something that was strange given your prideful and determined nature. Then it was surprise; your words had surely reached his ears and passed through into his brain, which was unable to process their meaning for a single second. Alas, when it eventually did, Demetri's eyes darkened into the deepest shade of black you had ever seen on him, right in front of your very own eyes. You had never actually seen this kind of alteration into any vampire you had met up until that point and it surely made surprise shoot through you at the unnerving yet breathtaking occurrence; it was only seconds that you managed to process Demetri's lips half-opening before you really had the chance to interrupt him.

'Hear me out on this before you say anything. Please.' You pleaded, eyebrows raising high in your forehead in regret on how you had voiced things and the pain you caused him.

He presses his lips shut 'Go on.' He says, averting his majestic gaze for the first time since you knew him to anywhere but you.

The movement echoed through you like physical pain.

Struggling to choke back the tears threatening to bloom into your eyes, you mentally will yourself to go on. Swallowing hard, you exhale a full breath, before bringing your hands over your heart and tangling them there, like you were afraid the organ was going to fail you at any given minute. Pulling up whatever courage you had left, you continue pushing forward.

'From the moment we came back, I cannot help but see that I have grown to become a completely different person from what I used to be.' You inhale 'I am no longer carefree, I am no longer spiteful with the world around me, I am not longer bitter and kind or any of the stuff I used to be. I have changed Demetri; I am no longer the girl my friends and family had grown to know and love. From the moment we have returned, all I can see is that I am not the same and the people around me cannot respond to that change. I am not me anymore Demetri. The pain of my father's loss is the greatest one I have felt so far and it only doubles seeing that I am hurting the very same people I love, that I grew apart from the people that used to know me all too well. Coming to Voltera, being with you guys for so long did so much to me and there is really not a single way for things to return to how they were anymore and surely as hell, even if there is, I cannot see it. But do you know what really shreds me apart and leaves me bleeding out?' you demand to know, voice echoing though the forest 'It's the fact that I do not care anymore!'

Demetri's eyes are still averted, but you can see it clearly as he rolls them 'Care to elaborate on that ______?' he demands, making you flinch.

Still, now it was a bit too late to back down 'I don't care anymore Demetri. That's my problem. I don't care that I betrayed my friends, I do not certainly care that I lost my home back here. Honestly, the bottom line is that I would die for them and they wouldn't do the same for me.' You simply shrug 'But you know what I also don't care about?' you take a small, calculated step towards him.

'I don't care about the deal you had with Aro to bring me here in order to make me succumb to your will.'

In these words, Demetri finally turns to look at you, eyes wide with surprise and a faint tint of red painting them as his mouth hangs open in awe; in response, you give him a small, weary and extremely exhausted smile.

'How do you-'

'Heidi called me when I was out for coffee with Bella and Alice. She thought she would be doing me a favor now that it was possible for me to run away from you. She told me all about your plan with Aro to eventually turn me into a vampire. Honestly, at first I was furious with you. I wanted to hurt you more than you can even imagine...' you admit sadly.

'______ I-'

You silenced him with your raised hand 'I do not care anymore Demetri. I do not care either what your deal was or what lies you had told me. Deceiving me, lying to me, leading me on to make certain decisions that would aid you in any way, mean nothing to me and given the chance, I would do them again and again. Because you won the bet Demetri.' You smile a teary smile as your eyes finally bloom with tears that cascade down your cheeks serenely. Dripping to the hard ground; making you realize just how far inside you had walked into the darkness. There was no going back; and you would want it any other way.

'You won, because after all this time, I am frustrating deeply in love with you.' you smile with a sigh and try to supress a sob 'Your quirky remarks, your flirtation, the kisses and touches; everything simply takes my breath away and leaves me gasping for more. And for that reason, I can endure everything you throw at me. Flirt with Heidi all you want, lie to me, ignore me, take my very soul away by turning me into one of your kind; fine I will do it. As long as I can be around you, I will be content even if you don't feel the same way. I am sorry but I cannot help myself anymore-'

'You are either really blind or too naïve _____, you know that?'

Demetri's harsh voice brings you back to reality. Your attention turns to him once again and the first thing you notice is how his face was contorted into a mask of pained anger; his eyes shone in the dim light of the moon and his flawless skin pointed his gritted teeth even more as Demetri looked on the verge of tears. It was sure that if he was a human, he would be crying, no doubt. Surprise was all you could really understand by this point; surprise as to how much human Demetri appeared right at this very second, how humane and filled with emotions raging inside him like a insatiable fire eating him from the inside out alive. There were all right there, burning into his scarlet eyes as he looked at you with nothing but a mixture of pain, desperation and determination painted across his face. He took an abrupt step forward, raising his hand to point at you, and even if all of your alarms had went off, your body remained frozen solid in front of the super nova of emotions erupting from Demetri's mere existence.

'What?' you dare utter.

'You heard me loud and clear!' he bites out harshly 'You are either blind or naïve, but you surely do not see what is standing right in front of you. How many times or with what method should I get my point across to you that you mean **e v e r y t h i n g** to me? From the very first time I saw you, I cannot think of any other and I sure as hell can't fathom how I went with women other than you. Are you sincerely that oblivious as to how much I adore you?'

Another step towards you.

'I wanted to make you mine from the very first time I laid my eyes on your mortal form and even now, after all this madness and lies, I still want you with everything I have. To hell with your friends; for me they seem to fail to comprehend how much of yourself you have become and if they don't want you for that, I say to hell with them. All those months I know you, I know you better than each and every one of them combined. I know that you are kind and merciful and humorous and hot-blooded and clever, with high-values and if I dare say, more stubborn and troubling than a mule. But you are the most unique woman I have ever encountered, so do not try to put words in my mouth about not caring. Because you do. And I do as well. I care about you because in all those years I had merely existed, you came into my life and breathed in me the breath of Life itself. I had been drowning in the darkness for so long ______, encountered so many monsters and became one myself, so you cannot even wrap your mind yet on how much I **l o v e** your light.' He threw his hands in the air exasperatedly.

'I love you _____ ______ and there is nothing in this world or in the other that can stop me from having you. In your own words, I cannot do this anymore and I surely do not care.'

A choke escaped you as his words sank in; as the realization of his desperation sank heavily inside your mind and the magnitude of his words released the wild and heavy burden inside your chest. It was frustrating to realize what had already been in front of you and you had failed to see for so many months. Demetri loved you from the moment he met you, exactly like you did.

At this very moment, the world around you could disappear or go up in flames and you wouldn't care.

As long as the two of you remained.

This time, it was you who ran into his arms. This time, it was you who desperately threw your arms around the man with everything you had, a desperation that resonated through you like a massive tidal wave of raw emotion. And this time, it was Demetri who hugged you like the whole world was coming to an end. This time when you leaned towards one another and your lips met, it was no longer the man who got on your nerves with his pointless flirtation and the sly remarks that burned up your cheeks with a scorching fire and you weren't the same girl who opposed him with every single fiber of her existence and threw witty remarks with the sole purpose of hurting him irreparably; instead, you were two desperate and longing lovers uniting for the very first time with absolutely no hesitation, with nothing to hold you back anymore. No gods, no humans, no devils. From now and onwards, it was you against both worlds in which you existed and honestly, you couldn't think of a better companion to share it with. Demetri kissed you like never before and you melted into the kiss, feeling the last remains of your bottle up emotions burst into oblivion and be released. There was no hiding from the man anymore; there were no secrets, no double meanings. It was only you and him. Utterly and trully you.

And you were content with just that.

When you finally broke away after what seemed like an eternity, you chuckled merrily as Demetri placed a tender kiss on your forehead, sending a shiver down your spine from the huge difference of body temperature.

'Took you quite a few breakdowns to realize you only belong to me.' He commented slyly, nuzzling into your hair and holding you tighter against his sturdy chest, cherishing the full and sweet smell of your body.

'Really? I don't think I have a stamp on my butt that says Demetri, now do I?' you joke, trying to playfully shove him away laughing, but to no avail.

He chuckles darkly in your remark 'Not yet I would have to point out.'

'Hmm, I wonder how Aro will respond to the news.' You muse half joking, half thoughtfully.

'I am quite certain Felix is going to throw a parade. He and Alec were betting on when we were finally going to see what was right in front of us.' He said thoughtfully, breathing out in your hair.

In his words, your eyebrows furrow and your smile falls into a scowl 'I'm gonna have a little chat with the two of them once we get back.' you said ominously 'For now, how about we go home?'

Demetri flashes you one of his signature sly smirks and taking a step back, he mocks a small courteous bow with his lean figure 'After you m'lady.' He says and laughs as you roll your eyes when you pass by him, taking the road back to the small town that seemed all too far away from where you were standing; from the looks of it, you had walked further inside the dark and ominous forest from what you had thought you had. Maybe due to the sheer need to be quite away from any wandering civilians if Embry decided to launch against you; and trully enough, that had not gone like you had planned at all...

'The sly remarks will never go away right?' you throw over your shoulder in pretendious exasperation, walking on the same dark path from which you came from in the first place.

You can almost hear his amused smirk 'A whole eternity of them, love.'

'It's still early to run...' you muse, more to yourself than to him.

'Not anymore.' he coos from behind you.

Walking down the path lazily and completely relaxed in what seemed like centuries, you laugh a bit with his remark, your eyes straying to the darkness prevailing around the forest and effectively hiding away the heat spreading over your cheeks along with a color to match Demetri's breathtaking eyes. Fallen leaves and small twigs snap under both of your feet as you venture out, talking and joking and messing with each other all in a rather good nature after the hectic last days you had, the premises of the small town coming into view into the far distance after a while, at the very same moment a cold wind rises all around you, whipping your hair back harshly and making you stop on your tracks abruptly. Demetri immediately notices that and speaks up, only that his voice seems to drown into your mind as all you can do right now is stare in the void, completely frozen solid and with your lungs closing up, holding on to your breath for dear life.

Terror penetrated your skin like an electric current; it pierced you from every place your skin was touched by the air softly, sending a wild shiver down your spine and emptying your mind for all thoughts. The electricity raced through you like a lightning bolt, electrocuting you to the core and reaching all the way down to shake your very own soul. Your muscles locked exactly as they were, enabling you no movements whatsoever as your (e/c) eyes opened wide with surprise and a ringing sound emanated in your ears deafening you almost completely; all alerts inside your mind slowly but steadily begin to be turned off, the feeling bathing you in cold sweat and your blood to run solid cold. Your jaw clenches with utter power and the only move you do is raise your head to look at the trees surrounding you, eyes trying to pierce through the thick darkness in order to pinpoint its exact location. Or rather _his _exact location. There was someone watching you through the trees; you could feel it in the air, feel it graze against your skin but it was all too difficult to pinpoint in an exact location. But it was watching, _watching you both_, waiting for someting you guessed was the perfect opportunity to strike..

'_____ what is going on?' Demetri said loudly, trying to be heard over the raging wind, his hunter senses tingling with the feeling that you had picked on something that was not necessarily good.

'Someone is watching us.' You murmured, knowing all too well that with his extremely developed hearing, the vampire heard you as loudly as if you were screaming and surely enough, his threatening growl echoed from behind your back like a rumble of lightning. He could feel it too, but could not pinpoint it as well.

Suddenly, the mark on your left hand was set ablaze.

Not even being able to discern the penetrating scream of pain released from your mouth in that exact sole moment, your right hand flies to cover your burning one and you fold in two, feeling your scream eat away all of your oxygen until the very depths of your lungs all at the same time shredding your vocal cords and neck apart from the inside out. The pain was soaring, it was excruciating, it was something you had never experienced in your entire life and it rendered you completely immovable. Your knees buckled and you would have fallen to the ground were it not for two iron vise hands that wrapped around your shriveled form and kept you exactly where you were standing protectively. Your ears rang harshly and tears of utter pain flooded your eyes as you screamed your lungs to shreds and desperately tried to pull your sleeve up in order to reveal the source of the pain, desperately searching for a way to gain relief from this bone crushing ache. Through a waterfall of tears, you tugged hastily at your sleeve and what your eyes met with, was something you had never seen before in your entire life.

The mark was burning up; that much you could tell. Yet nothing prepared you to see the mark engraved into your skin lighting up with a reddish glow coming from just under your skin and burning you to the core. The skin around the mark was being burnt and your veins were popping out from the pain as you shuddered and screamed and clentched your fist tightly, begging for it to stop hurting you, to stop burning you up from the inside out like lava injected straight to your veins. Yet the light remained unwavering and your head involuntarily leaned back as your back arced from the pain and your powers exploded all around you, ripping the surrounding trees to shreds as all the screaming was caught inside your lungs in silent terror and lack of oxygen. Dangerously fast, your conscience began to abandon you, the edges of your already diminished from the tears vision turning utterly black as your senses began to fade and the darkness raced to engulf you. Just as fast as the pain came......

It stopped.

Hungrily inhaling a deep breath of air with a hungry moan, your lungs burned you as the ground underneath you steadied itself once again. For moment, all you could feel was the complete absence of pain and the sweet numbness of relief enveloping you like a cool blanket of the most pure air. Blinking rapidly in order to find your orientation before anything worse happened, you realize the coldness around you was produced by a sturdy chest that had wrapped his hands protectively around you and shielded you from any possible foe that might be lurking in the shadows. Focusing your hearing once again, you tune in Demetri's desperate and frantic voice, which was painted with terror.

'_____! What is going on?! Talk to me; who is attacking?' panic. His voice was laced with a thick blanket of panic, you had never heard before; it made him sound....human.

'... Demetri....' You weakly murmured out, hungrily gulping in the all too precious night air like it was your life line '...Something is wrong....we......home...'

Your words were slurred out almost completely by the remaining need to regain your strength, but thankfully, it was all the man needed to get into motion.

'We are going home, love.' He murmured sternly, allowing you to lean completely on him, passing a hand on your back and another on the back of your legs, before picking you up bridal style with a swift movement and setting off as fast as he could towards where he believed your safe-haven was 'Not a single need to worry; I will keep you safe.' his voice promised, laced with that kind of determination people have when conquering the whole wide world. And you believed him; you trully allowed yourself to indulge in the sheer need and realization that as long as he was by your side, there was not a single god or devil walking planet earth that would ever be able to touch a single hair of your head without the vampire shredding him to pieces. Because he would always be there for you; he was not your knight in shiny armor, but the dark demon king that bowed with his heart in his bloody hand right in front of you, begging you to have him.

And who were you to say no? The darkness loves us more trully and passionately than the light, for the pain and hurt we hide inside. It loves us there, where we are most vulnerable.

All these realizations and thoughts were lazily swirling inside your mind the whole time Demetri was gently but decisively leading you back to wher he had left the car. You were too weak to speak; you were too weak to do anything but lean on the undead man and completely entrust your safety and well-being to him, even if he decided to kidnap you into a far-away land right at that point. You wouldn't object in the least; as long as you would be with him, there was no place that would seem alien when his presence lingered like the memory of the sun on a cloudy day. The ride back home passed in a complete whirlwind of colors, lights and shadows dancing all around you like the flickering stars on a clear summer night; they drew your attention but you were too weak to do anything but admire them with a small half-smile spread across your face, worn out almost to the bone by the happenings of the day. Demetri raced across town to get you into the car and once he was sure you were not being followed or that you were having another attack, he drove fast into the night and towards your shared haven. Wearily, you leaned your head to the cool window, closing your eyes and allowing the coldness to calm your overwhelmed and burnt out brain as much as possible. One of Demetri's cold hands was safely wrapped around yours, offering you another source of coldness and you were thankful that this day was finally coming to an end. You had absolutely no clue what happened back there; it was as if there was something sinister, something sickening, hanging in the air around you like miasma, watching your every move and waiting for the precise moment it would be best to attack.

This was rather strange, since if there really was a physical opponent lurking in those woods, either your newly released powers or Demetri's far advanced senses would have picked him up and you would have fled the place in a matter of seconds. Even with this small insight on the animosity with which he lurked around, with the heavy atmosfere that surrounded him and unerved the whole forest in a hostile way, you knew this was not an opponent to take head on. So, it was utterly strange to find out there was nothing there to begin with even if the burning mark on your wrist was a sure sign that something was terribly wrong. The question was though, what?

Next thing you knew after a whole ride of slipping in and out of consciousness mixed with piercing black eyes staring into your soul, was Demetri eventually pulling the car to a stop in front of your own little sanctuary. His door opened and before you even knew it, your own was flying open with eagerness and the man was softly picking you up bridal style once again, proceeding to walk towards the house in a fast and urgent way. Leaning your head to the cavity of his neck, you allow yourself a full inhale of his mesmerizing aroma, feeling it cool you down and reassure you that everything would be alright. As long as you were together, there was nothing you couldn't do for one another.

Demetri closed the front door behind you with his foot and walked straight up the stairs into your room, gently placing you into the bed as if you were as fragile as a crystal doll. Welcoming the soft touch of the sheets under your skin, you look up to the man with a weary smile, watching him observe you carefully with those liquid ruby eyes. His eyebrows were almost touching over his eyes from the worry that had painted his characteristics, while his lips were pressed together in dismay as he raises his hand to pass it ever-so-gently through your (h/c) locks, an act that soothed you more than you'd like to admit.

'I am alright, I swear.' You cooed, caressing his hand with your warm own.

The man smiles a small smile, before entwining your hand with his and bringing it to his lips, he graces it with a soft kiss 'You gave me quite a scare back there. It is best to remain in the house for a couple of days, just in case whatever was out there decides to come back.' his full, low voice suggests calmly, and you knew instantly that he was more than worried for your well-being.

'No need, we are in Forks; I think we are finally quite safe here.' you try to pacify him with a tired smirk.

He sighs and smiles, before leaning in and kissing your forehead tenderly 'And here I was thinking you would finally listen to me without question.' he jokes 'Anyway, I will leave you to rest now.'

He was about to stand up and leave the room, leave you alone, but to Demetri's utter surprise, your hand shoots up and grabs his own tightly, making him turn to look at you in utter surprise for the unexpected act. What he sees though when his gaze settles on your face, is the very same intoxicating light that he always seemed to adore burning steadily behind your determined eyes as you offered him a pleading look. How adorable you looked with all of your defences brought to the ground; how beautiful and breathtaking you were as you allowed him, an undead and soulless creature, to gaze upon your completely naked and shining bright soul that rested lazily inside your eyes, making him feel like it was the very first time he breathed in a breath of fresh air. Intoxicating; raw and beautiful. And he could not look away. Not anymore that is.

'Please stay with me tonight.' You voiced, barely whispering as your voice cracked with fear, clawing at his long stopped heart 'Stay Demetri.'

There was a moment of silence that followed your words. The man kept staring at your majestic (e/c) orbs, searching for something that would tell him you were telling this out of fear or paranoia, but all your eyes reflected steadily back, was the sheer determination and wanting you had for him. A few moments passed as well, feeling like a true century, before the man cracked his all-too-familiar smile, looking away from the intense beauty of your light.

'If it makes you feel better, then how can I say no to my human?' he murmurs chuckling as you pull him gently towards you.  
  


'I would dare you to say no.' you laugh as well, as your lips seal with one another.

The sweet kiss the two of you shared was once again too mesmerizing to describe with simple human words. Maybe it was the fear coursing through your warm veins, or maybe it was the newly stated declaration of love from both your sides that fueled you to be quite daring, but in the end, you simply did as your heart commanded you to. Right now, you simply could not get enough of the man; you wanted to learn everything that was about him, trace every single inch of his ice cold skin and memorize it. Absorb it in and make it part of your own self. Every single inch of your body, every fiber, every cell, your very own soul longed for his cold touch; for his cold body to cup perfectly on yours and seal the promise to be with one another forever.

Instinctively, your heart sped up her pace, pounding loudly against your chest; you were vaguely aware of Demetri's grin spreading as he heard the soft sound as clearly as if you screamed at him and in response, his callous hands wrapped around your waist, pulling you closer to his body. His touch was penetratingly cold; it came in such huge contrast with your own body which unwillingly turned its heat up, allowing a wave of bright red cover your cheeks, yet it never reached to cloud your mind. You knew very well what you were doing and what you wanted to do; nothing was going to cloud the strange clarity.

With gentle moves, you lower yourself back onto the soft mattress, after you wrap your hands behind Demetri's neck and pull him along with you to lie on top of you; he didn't protest, he didn't even break the kiss. He only growled softly, biting down onto your lip hard enough to make you let out a small cry of pain; his hands travel from your waist to your butt and with a deep sigh, you allow your left leg to wrap around his waist.

The moment you do though, the man grows completely rigid on top of you. In mere seconds, his soft touch turns to stone and his face drops along with his kissing. Breaking the kiss and leaning his head back, you open your eyes to demand to know what the hell he thought he was doing only to meet with his stormy red eyes gazing down to you in a mixture of confusion and anger.

'What are you doing _____?' his voice was gruff, strained; it was heavy with a lust that resonated like electricity through your body 'I thought I told you not to start something you are not willing to finish.'

Pressing your lips together in dismay, you return his serious glare steadily 'Who said I am not willing to go through with this completely Demetri? I am more than sure about what I am doing.'

In your response, his eyebrows furrow over his majestic eyes 'I-I do not think you have thought of this through enough. I can seriously harm you and I deny doing whatever might place you in danger.'

It was the first time that his voice wavered. It was the first time you saw uncertainty painting his red orbs. But you also knew him enough to know there was a battle going on inside his head; worry for your well being, worry for accidentally hurting you in ways not easily fixed battled fiercely with the pure wanting poisoning his mind. Even if his gaze appeared steady and determined, it strayed a few times over your exposed skin, your heaving chest that rose and fell as you breathed and your lips that patiently waited for his kisses. He wanted this as much as you did; but to your complete surprise, Demetri, the cocky Casanova with the daring personality, was genuinely hesitant.

Your eyebrows rose in surprise 'I thought you had done this before with other girls.' You try to tease him, moving yourself a bit under him in a teasing way that made a small glow of the other part wining flash through his eyes, before he noticed it and averted his face elsewhere.

'You are not like the others _____. I wouldn't bare hurting you.' he declares 'Yet I want to have you so much.' The last sentence was low and almost inaudible- you would have thought you imagined it if the air surrounding you hadn't carried it in your ears.

Honestly speaking, you couldn't believe your own ears 'So you can't decide what to do?' you exclaim, half surprised, half-furious.

'Of course not _____. I-'

The man never had the chance to finish his sentence, since the surprise that shot through him was rather enough to render him unable to do so. He surely did not expect your next move and honestly, that was all the better for you. All you did, was wrap both of your legs around his waist and with a sharp movement, you took the vampire by surprise, flipping you over onto the bed so that you were the one leaning on top of him. With a bit of help from your powers as well, since it wouldn't be possible for a human to be this quick. In the end it worked and now, you were laying on top of Demetri, who was staring back at your clearly flustered form with surprise and a tint of amuse starting painting the edges of his red colored eyes.

With a devious grin which you tried oh so much to maintain from wavering, you leaned down and placed a small kiss on Demetri's neck, feeling the vampire freeze once again.

'Then I will decide for the both of us.' You declare.

Another kiss on his jawline.

'Since you can't see that I am not as delicate as you think.'

Your hands find their way on the edge of his shirt, grabbing a hold of it and trying to pull it up.

'I dare you to stop me.'

And your lips sealed once again.

It doesn't take you long enough to find yourself flipped over once again, back coming in hard contact with the mattress and a cold body pins you down to it, as a consumed with lust vampire man kisses you into oblivion. Your bodies cup and he literally traps you between his perfect body and the bed, even if cautiousness and excitement still raged war inside of him. Shortly after, both of your clothes were shredded to pieces along the wooden floor of the room, allowing the two of you to indulge yourselves in one another for the first time as fully as you wished.

It was evident now what made women crazy about Demetri; as a lover, he was scandalously attentive and skillful, even if he was obviously trying not to allow his full excitement of having you there, all for himself, cloud his senses and lead him to do anything that would harm you in any way. Still, it doesn't take long for you to find yourself call out his name or sigh in complete, lustful desire, matching his excited and deep growls that escaped his lips along with your name. Moans and sighs and each other's names fill the room as your bodies cupped against one another so perfectly, like they were made from the very beginning of time to do so.

Life and Death, warm and cold, alive and dead entwine with one another so perfectly and correctly that it was sure they were never going to be brought apart ever again.

Demetri was deep inside you, thrusting slowly and carefully with his head hidden in your neck cavity. Bringing you closer and closer to your release by hitting all the right spots deliriously and teasingly slowly, making your back arc and a aloud moan escape your lips along with the single sentence you uttered that night. A simple order that the vampire was unable not to fulfill:

_'Bite me Demetri.'_

It came out as a soft command; you had brought your lips to his ear before sighing and uttering that simple sentence with the few words that were oh so pleading. The man complied. With a deep, animalistic growl, he kisses your neck before your feel his mesmerizing mouth open and in a mere flash, his sharp teeth sink deep into your delicate skin.

A loud cry of pain leaves your lips as you feel the teeth sink into your flesh like a knife in hot butter. It produces a stinging pain that took over half of your lust-wrapped brain. You feel your very own blood pool into the man's mouth and even overflow a little bit, falling hard on the white sheets under you, creating a huge ruby red circle before the man gulps the first mouthful. He growls in complete excitement, feeding off of you with large gulps of animalistic frenzy and for a strange reason you feel yourself be set ablaze. The bite wasn't like the other one you had acquired so many months before; it didn't drain you from energy, it didn't weaken you in any way. Instead, it burnt hot like lava, a feeling that pierced through you like electricity, melting your veins and skin away and making you scream out loud Demetri's name, arcing your back and finally releasing your mind-shredding orgasm that shot up to meet with it.

It was surely one of the most powerful emotions you had ever experienced; they set your mind and body ablaze, shredding through your soul and surrendering you completely to the only man that would ever be able to make you feel like that. The very same man that reached his own bone-crashing orgasm as soon as he took the first gulp of your blood, feeling the pure, vanilla taste make his consciousness ebb entirely. It was perfect and mesmerizing in every possible way and made you realize, you had taken the most important and best decision of your life by choosing him. By choosing the cocky, Casanova vampire with the clever remarks and the loyalty to an enemy that had treated you like family in the end.

By choosing Demetri.

And there was nothing that could stand between you from now and till forever.


	37. Chapter 34 The Truth Beneath The Rose

As the sun of a rare sunny day dawned the next day, it found you securely enclosed in the huge bathroom of your room, standing in front of the enormous floor mirror and angrily powdering your skin with as much make up as you had. Lips pressed together in a mixture of dismay and wonder and eyebrows furrowed above your (e/c) eyes, you angrily stared back at your naked reflection, trying to save what you could. Alas, vivid remembrances of last night were constantly invading your mind, making your skin shiver in a weird mixture of anticipation and happiness, ebbing away your current anger.

That was, because you and Demetri were finally together. Like, officially. After your broken heartedness over the way you had treated Embry –not something you did on purpose for the most part- you had gone all out and confessed your love to a pretty stunned Demetri, who only returned it back with the same magnitude burning inside his liquefied ruby eyes. The tension of pain and love escalated and got tangled together and before you knew it, one thing led to another and…… and now you had to hide the remnants of the heated night away from any preying eyes. Not that you mind too much though; the bruises and marks his lips and hands left all over your delicate (s/c) skin were there to serve as a proof he was completely yours from now on till forever and that you were his as well. It’s simply that you didn’t expect to have _so many._

You knew something was a bit wrong with you when you woke up this morning; opening your eyes to see you were alone in the enormous bed, your ears easily picked up the sounds of a certain someone roaming the kitchen downstairs, making your heart flutter inside your chest. One gaze over your covered with the sheets body and you instantly knew you were dressed in nothing but your birth suite, mentally thanking the gorgeous vampire for providing you with enough discreetness to prepare yourself. Throwing your legs hastily towards the ground, you almost allow a small yelp of pain escape your bruised lips the moment a sharp pain shoots through your body; as unexpected as it was, it was obviously triggered from your sharp movements making you inhale a sharp breath, throwing your still clouded from sleepiness brain off the rails. It sincerely felt like you had collided with a brick wall straight on; your limbs were protesting wildly, spreading a painfully hot fire through your bones and muscles. Lungs contracting in order to keep the pain at bay, you are more than shocked to find out your legs were weary and wobbly under you, threatening to throw you off balance at any given second. God knows how you managed to make it into the bathroom.

And boy, oh boy, were you in for a world of surprise.

It only took you one look in the huge full-length floor mirror, allowing the sheets to slip gracefully to the ground under you, revealing your body in all its naked glory to your eyes that filled with surprise almost instantly. Gasping, you struggled to comprehend what were you looking at. All of your body, all of your once unstained skin, was now laced with all kinds of bruises in various degrees of healing. From your neck, down to your shoulders, arms, chest, stomach, back and legs, purple stains against (s/c) skin were almost burning under your stupefied gaze, marking all the places Demetri’s hands roamed over. Mouth half opening in silent awe and a small smile flashing over the edges, you notice some of them seemed kind of painful, yet nothing was as painful looking as the clear, semi-circular bite mark you had on the right side of your neck were your man had bitten you after your go-ahead. Lightly, your hand raised itself and gingerly placed your fingers over the completely healed but still obvious wound; the spot felt somewhat colder than the rest of your body, leaving behind a small scar. Demetri had been kind enough to help it heal, yet you were sure that a trained eye would be able to locate it immediately. Lowly, you chuckled to yourself. Oh boy, there goes more trouble!

So grabbing whatever make-up kit you had, you tried to cover it up the best you could, for the past ten minutes, growing increasingly frustrated the more it failed. Eventually, you just curse to yourself and throw the kit to the side, grabbing the pair of clothes you had brought with you and dressing hastily, you make your way out of the room and towards the kitchen where Demetri was.

Going down the stairs seemed rather challenging with your current state, making you mentally high-five yourself when you arrived at the bottom with safety. But as you walked inside the brightly lit room, with the strong rays of light penetrating from the huge windows and your eyes resting on a familiar figure currently hunching over a really hot frying pan, instantly, your body calmed down and your nerves subsided. With a smile of complete adoration spreading over your features, you fold your hands over your chest and rest on the doorframe lazily, (e/c) orbs watching the glorious man roam around the room with such ease as if he always belonged there.

Demetri positively appeared to be in very, _very _good moods. His beautiful frosted sand brown hair were in a tempting disarray, shining a little bit under the sunlight and proving that maybe the man didn’t bother to fix them after last night. You could almost feel in the edges of your fingertips how soft they were to the touch, how they gave off a mesmerizing aroma of lilac and honey and how sweet it was to inhale the luxurious smell. The man was wearing a simple grey shirt that complimented his well-built yet lean figure amazingly, matching it with a simple pair of jeans and walking completely barefooted. He was currently completely focused on the task at hand, flipping some delicious looking crepes on the pan, gently singing an Italian song to himself. He appeared relaxed and in good moods; aftermath of a well spent night you assumed, raising an eyebrow. Even if dark circles had made their way under his burgundy eyes, even if the sun revealed a hideous pattern of black veins on the back of his neck where it gingerly touched him, in your eyes he was the most beautiful man you had ever laid your eyes upon. Smiling, you couldn’t help but think that he was completely your own and nobody could ever have him again. A Casanova all for yourself you had gotten. How…. unexpectedly pleasant; it filled you with a wild happiness that resonated weirdly with your lower belly, warming it up.

‘I still have some things to prepare, so feel free to admire me as much as you want.’ A low voice chuckled, bringing you abruptly back to order, as Demetri flipped the crepes and filled a nearby plate with them.

Fiddling in your spot for being caught red-handed, you cannot help neither the redness covering your cheeks in an instant, nor the rolling of your eyes in a desperate attempt to play it cool ‘It’s nothing I haven’t seen quite often, so don’t get too cocky on me.’

Demetri tears his amused gaze from the pan to look at you with a half grin, making your heart almost jump out of your chest ‘Maybe I should take the clothes off then?’

This time, the bite you landed on your lower lip was so strong, you flinched involuntarily ‘Meh, I wouldn’t be impressed still.’ You mumble, walking off to sit on the chair in the kitchen table, trying desperately to hide away the furious blushing erupting through your face and surely enough, the comment Demetri used to retaliate did nothing to ease you in any way.

‘That’s not what you were saying yesterday mi amore.’

Grabbing the plate with food and a glass filled with (y/f) juice, he casually walks over to you, resting them in front of your amazed eyes and sitting beside you on the table. You expected him to kiss you on the lips as a good morning, and surely enough you saw his body leaning towards you to do just that, but in the very last minute the man freezes solid and before your curious glare, gently takes your hand in his and places a light kiss in your palm. It did send a wild shiver down your spine, reaching the very depths of your heart to electrify it to the fullest –with the said organ picking up its pace making itself known even to the undead man- but you knew him all too well to know that something was wrong. Worry ebbed inside your heart almost immediately, but you decide it was best to veil it with a nonchalant expression for now; just to give him some time to come out and say it, before you punched truth out of him.

So instead, you avert your eyes to the plate in front of you.

‘I didn’t know you could cook. Is it safe to try it or I’m getting a surprise food poisoning along with it?’ you tried to lift the mood up, yet you flinched, failing to convince even yourself.

‘I learnt some tricks when I was in Paris and decided to woo my love with them. If there is one thing I know, is that women cannot say no to good food.’ He exclaims slyly, moving your hand to kiss the inside of your wrist.

‘Yet you have something to tell me don’t you?’

There it goes! The cat is out of the bag!

In the sound of your words, Demetri stays completely silent. His grip around your wrist remains soft and reassuring, but you cannot help the increasing worry that forms inside your brain; well it was all for nothing here and if he had something to tell you, all this stalling would not be good for your nerves. Swallowing hard, you turn your even gaze towards him, watching his burgundy eyes look at you carefully as his eyebrows furrowed above them. He knew you all too well by now and this nonchalant, even stare would certainly not work on him anymore.

‘If you are worrying yourself about something over there, you are a big idiot; my idiot to be precise.’ He says calmly, his eyes studying your face curiously for the smallest of changes before the silence spreading among you urges him to continue ‘I will be going for a hunt tonight and I will be returning tomorrow morning, so I took the liberty of calling some of your Cullen friends here to keep you some company. After what happened yesterday in the forest, I cannot deny I do not wish to leave you alone even for a second.’

Before you had the slightest chance to control it, you sigh deeply and your tense shoulders relax. A movement that was not able to drop under the attention of the always observant man, who arcs an eyebrow in question.

‘I would like to know what you were thinking I might do right there ______.’ He demands lowly.

Taking the fork in your free hand, you ignore him as you cut happily through your crepe ‘It doesn’t matter what I was thinking Demetri. And okay, I’ll stay right here; I don’t want any extraterrestrial encounters as much as you do. Finally we’re at peace after a damn long time. And I’m guessing you mean Alice and Bella?’

He nods, never dropping his suspicious eyes fixated on you ‘Yes, Alice Cullen and Isabella Swan will he here in just a bit. But you are not getting away that easily _______. As the people say around here, spill it.’

Of course he was not going to drop the subject so easily! If you knew him all those months that you have spent time with him, this was surely a given one for him to persist until you told him everything. Honestly though, you were kind of ashamed for yourself though; easily jumping into this kind of conclusion was a bit too much even for you, not only undermining his honestly last night when he said he loved you but doing the same for your self-respect. Maybe you still had a lot of things to learn and surely, you would have to begin by trusting him a little bit more; if you trusted him with your life, you could surely trust him with your heart as well, no matter how fragile it was.

So taking a sharp breath, you stuff yourself with the delicious crepe with nutella filling, trying to ignore his burning gaze to the side of your head.

‘I thought you were going to tell me you regretted last night.’ You mumble out of nowhere.

Silence fell among you once again. This time, you knew by the complete relaxation of his fingers around your hand that he was either too taken aback by the surprise of your confession or too wounded. With all your heart, you wished for the first one to apply; continuing to stuff yourself with the food, you simply did not have the courage to turn and look at him even for a split second. What kind of face was he pulling? Was he hurt? Had you gone too far this time? Damn you and your temper tantrums!

‘I can assure you mi amore.’ His voice slices through your disheveled thoughts like a knife, making you turn your eyes towards him, only to see him look at you with concern and calmness written all over his face as he stroked your hand gingerly ‘I have not gone mad just yet; and you should start trusting me a little bit more don’t you think? I am a man of perfection and I would die before I let it slip out of grasp now that I got a hold of it.’

Unable to form a single coherent thought to answer him, you simply nod and offer a shy, small smile.

Demetri smiles his signature cocky grin ‘Remember yesterday, when you went all kinky on me and urged me to bite you?’ he asks slyly, his red eyes shining with the same lust that made your spine shiver wildly and your knees to get weak.

‘I-I might.’

‘Liar. I heard you trying to cover up the bite mark.’ He cockily throws at you, smiling smugly when he sees the wild heat that instantly courses through your entire face, turning it into a lighthouse ‘What you do not know, is that by doing that, my resistance to the smell of your blood has somewhat……decreased.’ He admits calmly ‘And in order to keep you in your best state –just to play around a little bit more in the nights ahead of us’ he winks deviously at you ‘I need to get my food more frequently now.’

Raising your eyebrows, you swallow the sip of juice you had just taken carefully, before smiling broadly ‘Don’t tell me I got under the big bad vampire’s skin now, did I?’ you retaliate, pleased beyond belief with yourself.

Demetri smiles pridefully and broadly ‘Wasn’t that the whole point? To get you _under _me?’

No, not before. Now you were a living lighthouse. A living, breathing, breath hitching tomato right in front of the vampire Casanova’s eyes, who only chuckles and kisses your hand once more.

Play it cool _____, play it cool.

‘Then go ahead for as long as you want; we cannot have you passing out of exhaustion grandpa.’ You tease him mercilessly, at the same time you hear a car pull up in the front of the house.

Both of you turn your gazes to the front, only to see Alice’s yellow Porsche pulling up in the driveway. Before you had the chance to turn to Demetri through, you feel the man’s hand get a grip of your neck and keep it in place, his mouth coming dangerously close to your ear as he whispered tantalizingly slowly into it; his cold breath alerted you to the extreme and you felt some parts of you tighten in response to the close proximity. Hot lava raced through your veins, setting your skin ablaze.

‘Remember that when I come back, _mi amore_. Then we’ll see who wins the bet.’

And in the blink of an eye, he was gone.

‘Damn you Voltur-doggie!’ you exclaim, punching the table underneath you u with your clasped fist, cheeks blushing furiously and heart set in overdrive as you heard the cheerful voices of your two best friends coming from the outside and slowly closing in towards the doorway.

Truth be told, it was like hearing them through water, since your flustered state only served to aid the constant ringing in your ears, as you struggled to regain your composure. Demetri must have done that on purpose, you were insanely positive about it. Knowing him all those months helped assure the suspicion he would do anything to remain in your mind for the rest of the day, and surely enough, he had succeeded. Damn him! You can almost see the sly smirk of complete happiness spreading over his face, making his red eyes glisten deviously. Just you wait until you come back, Vampanova, we’ll see who laughs last.

The sharp sound of the doorbell made you almost yelp out loud, as you jumped up in your chair. Damn it girl, keep it together! Losing your mind with a simple notion from Demetri’s part would be enough to be the death of you and you had to be your own person as well. Inhaling a deep, controlled breath, you push all the thoughts for the promising possibilities nights carried for you from now on and straightening your clothes with determination.

‘Comin’!’ you exclaimed loudly enough for Bells to hear you –Alice never had that problem- and walk out on the hallway.

Hastily, you throw a glimpse on a nearby mirror; thankfully, the bite mark was completely concealed. You couldn’t risk it being noticed by anyone in Forks really; it would end up in a huge fuss happening and you would most rather die a hundred deaths than explain to them it was not Demetri’s fault but your very own. Noticing a faint blush dust your cheeks, you shake your head vigorously, trying to get the thoughts out of your head.

Sighing deeply, you collect what was left of your courage and turn the doorknob.

‘______, a little bit longer and I would have aged in your doorstep.’ Spiky hair passes by you in a hurry, with the elfish vampire entering the deep shadows of the house with relief written all over her face as she turns her gaze to you.

‘Nice to see you too Alice.’ You smile cheerfully as she starts to take off her scarf and hat that helped her hide away her true identity from any spying eyes.

‘Good morning _____. How have you been?’ Bella gives you a small bear hug, with you returning it with as much tightness as you could; honestly, even if Bells didn’t apply even the smallest of strength in the embrace, your bruises whined, making you flinch in pain. Fortunately, nobody saw you.

‘Umm, you know, could have been better.’ You simply shrug ‘Do you want some coffee or hot chocolate Bells? Demetri made some crepes if you are hungry as well.’

All of you walk back to the kitchen and the girls make themselves comfortable in the kitchen table, leaving you undisturbed to roam about the space, making some hot chocolate both for you and Bells, humming to yourself a random song while preparing the crepes as well. The girls were looking at your turned back with concern written over their faces, once in a while throwing knowing looks among themselves. You appeared relaxed and at home, like the entire house was part of your own soul already, yet the girls knew you all too well to know that you usually would not be that serene in general. Either you were too calm because you had lost it, or you were the calm before the storm and they sincerely could not decide which was worse at this point. It was even stranger that Demetri himself had asked them to keep you company over the night, so it was only normal for them to have many questions they would like to address you.

‘So, _____.’ Alice is the first to break the silence ‘I didn’t know you liked Italian songs.’

Grabbing the two cups and the plate, you turn to look at the vampire girl, only to find her looking at you deviously, hands crossed above her chest and eyes glomming with the smile spread across her beautiful characteristics. Across from her, Bella is obviously trying to hide her laughter, pretending she was coughing but betrayed by the faint blush of her cheeks.

Raising an eyebrow, you walk over and place the stuff on the table ‘I don’t understand; which song?’

Alice rolls her eyes in exasperation ‘Don’t play dumb. The one you were humming to right now.’ She leans over the table and towards you, her topaz eyes shining in the luxurious sun as she offers you a big smile.

‘Well ehm, I think Demetri was muttering it this morning and it kind of stuck I think…’ you avoid her vigilant gaze to give Bella her chocolate. Don’t get discovered now!

‘Demetri surely seems to worry about you _____. When he called us, he told me he was too worried to leave you alone tonight. What happened?’

Sighing, you steadily return Bella’s worried gaze with your calm own. Her brown eyes were depicting all of her emotions and she had grabbed the edges of her hair with her hand, worriedly playing with them as she bit down her lip_. Eh, Demetri shouldn’t have worried them that much_, you think to yourself. Looking at Alice, you see that she wanted you to explain as well.

‘A lot really. It seems like I sincerely cannot have a single moment of peace and calmness and I keep screwing up big time.’

‘Why don’t you take things from the start? Tell us what happened yesterday and we can think of a solution together. For the Volturi Guard to be afraid to leave you alone at nights, I can only guess this was big. And last time we had something like that, the newborn army attacked.’ Alice tried to pacify your rising worry.

Swallowing the sob threatening to erupt from your lungs, you nod ‘I-I know. That’s what scares me the most really.’ You look up at both of them ‘I keep having visions of my dead mother attacking me; then yesterday, while we were with Demetri in the forest of Vancouver, something was watching us. I don’t know what it was, but I know it was ather sinister.’ You confess.

Bella and Alice exchange alarmed gazes, before Bella swallows hard and Alice turns even more immovable than before.

‘What do you think it was?’ Bella muttered sheepishly.

You shake your head ‘I have no idea. All I know was that I felt eyes being stuck on me, melting my skin away. Then, my mark started burning me alive.’

‘What mark?’ the sound of your words snaps Alice out of her trance and once she turns to look at you, her gaze held a silent steadiness and determination, making her jaw tighten ever so faintly; the vampire elf was scared or even alarmed, you could tell. Which was never a good sign when it came to Alice.

In response, you pull up the sleeve of your button up shirt and show it to her ‘This mark. I had a dream a few months back about my mother and when I woke up, it was engraved in my skin’ you gingerly pass a finger over the marked flesh ‘Alec says it’s an ancient rune for protection.’

Alice presses her lips in a thin line with dismay, an emotion you had very, _very r_arely seen in the girl ‘I will ask Carlyle about it. He might know what this is about.’ She reassures you.

‘Thank you. So things are like that and then, yesterday, I screwed up big time with Embry; I mean, I turned everything to shit and I know, he won’t want to see me ever again. Because I played with him like a selfish prick. Alas, I am so happy with Demetri, I cannot think of anything else! I cannot think straight, you know? All my thoughts are consumed by him that I come to realize that I act as if nothing else matters to me… Which it does but I cannot deal with all this overwhelming feelings…!’

‘Wai-wait a second.’ Bella interrupts your rambling on, raising her eyebrows that almost meet with her hair in an overwhelming expression of surprise ‘You, you ____ _____, fought with Embry?’

You nod ‘Basically, I told him that I’m in love with Demetri.’

‘No wonder we haven’t seen the wolves today.’ Alice nods sheepishly ‘They must have rushed to his aid.’

‘He is a big boy though, he should have understood there are some things you simply cannot fight.’ Bella defends you with determination ‘You did the right thing telling him how you really felt _____. Like that, he will have the opportunity to move forward. Even if he’s in pain at first.’

‘You think Bells? I mean, after all that happened I thought I loved him deeply, but I guess it was a different kind of love from the one I have for Demetri. Before I was taken by the Volturi, all I could see in my future was Embry and how life would possibly be with him and now, my whole world has turned upside down!’ you sigh, raising the cup of chocolate to your lips, you down a little bit in order to calm your nerves down as Bella nods.

All of you can clearly see that the distress is eating you alive, appearing on the constant shaking your hand did as you held the cup up. Let alone the knot your stomach had turned into. Paler than ever before, you were staring out in the far beyond lost in your thoughts with your eyebrows furrowing in dismay and worry over your beautiful (e/c) orbs.

‘Playing with his emotions is never a good thing, that is for sure. But you didn’t do in on purpose to hurt him. It was collateral. He will get over it and you have to focus on the future from now on. How did Demetri take the news about your confession?’

Alice’s question was simple and clear yet it manages to bring all the events of yesterday inside your mind. How Demetri confessed to you; how he kissed and held you tenderly in his arms like you were the most fragile thing in all Existence. And of course, the night you had spent together. That alone was enough to make your heart race inside your chest yet again and a luxurious burgundy color cover your cheeks, which you sheepishly tried to hide by ducking your head downwards immediately. Of course though, your best friends were not naïve or blind as to your sudden strange behavior. Both of them leaned to rest their hands against the table. Both of them looked at each other –a movement you could see out of the corner of your eye- and you could almost hear Alice’s devious smirk painting her voice as she addressed you.

‘______...what happened?’

‘N-nothing much, he told me he loved me as well.’

‘Even a blind man could have figured that out without having to see you in action. But that is not it. Do you want me to see with my visions?’

‘NO!’ you exclaim terrified, ejecting your head upwards along with your hand in order to stop her from doing such thing ‘Please don’t do that Alice.’

‘Aha! So something did happen!’ she exclaims and victoriously crosses her hands over her chest, smiling like a Cheshire cat. 

Sighing in defeat, you look at both Bella and Alice, who were looking straight at you, waiting for you to spill the beans. You guessed you just couldn’t hide that from your best friends. Surely enough, your reaction was not how you normally acted, so even if you didn’t Alice would look into it with her visions. Oh God, the things she would see. So it was better to go all out in one go before something worse happens.

Swallowing hard, you inhale and you look right in front of you. Through the window, through the sunny day, and into the great beyond as you pulled your courage together.

‘Me and Demetri had sex for the first time last night.’

Silence.

For a split second you were pretty sure you could hear the crickets going around the room and the wheat passing through the kitchen in the non-existent wind. It was as if the whole world had seized to move or even breathe for a few split seconds, leaving both of your best friends to stare at you wide-eyed, mouths open, no words coming out. Even the fast vampire brain of Alice was simply and downright denying what you had just told them and simply stared at you like you had grown two heads. Let’s not indulge on how excited, surprised and mesmerized Bella looked, looking at you as if you were a fairy or mermaid from another world. It did nothing to help with your shyness and the anxiety of maybe you had done goofed by telling them. All this, in a simple second.

And then, hell broke loose.

Alice’s ‘what’ resonated like a bullet all over the house as she slammed her hands against the wooden table which creaked in response, while Bella’s eyes became as big as two saucing pans and she threw her hands to cover her wide open mouth as she couldn’t help but stare at you both mesmerized and terrified. In response, you sigh deeply. Oh boy.

‘How are you still alive _____?!’

‘How did you do it?! Did it hurt?! How was the feeling?!’

‘I’m still alive because Demetri has done this with other human women as well. We did it as any other couple would, didn’t hurt that much, the feeling was awesome as expected.’ You reply both of them with a single breath and tighten your hands around the cup.

Alice seemed positively perplexed ‘I cannot understand how you are still alive _____; death wishes are all you have inside that brain of yours.’

‘It was what I wanted alright? I don’t see where the problem is when doing it with someone you love. And you know he loves me Alice. He wouldn’t hurt me one bit.’ You sternly reply, seeing the topaz in Alice’s eyes melting and eventually the small vampire sighs and remains quiet, admitting her defeat.

Yet Bella, for reasons known and obvious, was far more curious than her.

‘He didn’t hurt you at all? Like , it wasn’t dangerous?’ she curiously replies, eyes filled with wonder and excitement; it was obvious why she was asking and you would be more than happy to fill her in with everything she might need.

‘Actually, it did leave quite a few marks; mostly bruises though and I am quite sure it was because he couldn’t restrain himself more. Lemme show you.’

Pulling the chair backwards, you stand proudly on your two feet as the girls glue their eyes on you. Calmly, you throw a hurried glare towards the window, making sure no one was passing by to see you, before your delicate hands go to your shirt and start unbuttoning it. With every button you undid, you could see Bella leaning forward curiously, trying to get a better look of what was going to happen, while even Alice herself was looking at you, a pleased smirk on her face with how fearless you truly were. I mean, first you surrender to the Volturi themselves and now! Now, you are sleeping with one of them! Damn, life surely loved to mess with people and who would have thought that the fierce wolf girl would eventually fall for a coldblooded vampire of the First Vampire Clan. So once you lower your shirt, exposing your bruise covered skin to them, it came as no surprise for the elfish girl to see your skin purple in various places.

‘That does seem painful.’ Bella observes carefully, the edges of her lips tugging down into a frown.

‘It’s not as bad as it looks.’ You pull the shirt up fast, careful so Alice would not notice the bite mark which you covered with your hair, out of her sharp sight ‘I can barely feel them and in a few days they’ll be gone.’

‘Our friend: the hard-core girl.’ Alice chimes happily and internally, you are glad she didn’t notice a thing ‘I should hand it to you, I didn’t expect to see you like that. But please don’t let the wolves know; I don’t think they would react well and I hate killing rabid dogs.’ She advises.

‘Which only reminds me’ you say ‘Can you please go back to my house in the village and get my stuff? I… I don’t want to return there for the time being. Can you do it as a favor?’

The moment these words leave your lips, it was as if a light bulb went on in Alice’s head and suddenly she is standing up, looking at you intently with those gold colored irises. Even if you were sitting down, she still did not appear intimidating; probably because of the strong aura of light emanating from her every pore.

‘Of course we can sweetheart! And now that you mentioned it, we have something for you.’

Raising an eyebrow, you barely have the time to even form the response in your mind before the girl disappears out of your sight in a flash. Turning to Bella, her full lips open to reply and clarify what was going on for you, alas before she even had the chance to do so, something heavy was falling with a soft crash on the table. Blinking once, blinking twice, it takes you a few moments to realize that a medium sized box had been dropped right in front of you on the table. It was probably around one meter long and a bit deep, covered with flower patters from all sides. On the top of it, there was a simple piece of paper with your name written on it. You held your breath; you could recognize this handwriting anywhere: it was your father’s.

Puzzled beyond comprehension any more, you turn your gaze to your left, where you see a grinning Alice standing right beside you, her pixie hair disheveled by the running and eyes glowing in excitement.

‘Jacob dropped by yesterday and told us to give this to you. Apparently, it belonged to your father and the mutts found it as they left your house. He couldn’t bring it to you himself since...’

You cut her off ‘Since I am with the leech’ you sneer ‘I know the drill, no worries.’ You say, passing your hands over the box softly, tracing the crevices of the carved box with your fingertips; it didn’t have much dust, so it was used recently. Probably by your father.

Your heart tightened.

‘So!’ Alice’s voice pulls you out of your thoughts abruptly and turning, you see her throwing her coat on as Bella follows her obediently, grabbing her own stuff as well.

‘We are going to get your stuff, so it’s going to take a while. You explore that and once we get back, we are having a ladies night. NO! No one can object me this time!’ she warns as she sees both you and Bella ready to protest.

Both of them wave you good bye before they exit through the front door, leaving you alone with your thoughts and the strange box in front of you. Looking out of the window right in front of you, you can see the yellow car pulling out of the driveway with its engine roaring as Alice stepped on the accelerator; you could almost see the terrified expression Bella must have, spread over her face as she fastens her seatbelt. In the thought, you chuckle. Honestly speaking, maybe it was for the best that they would be with you tonight. After all that happened, you really were in need for some company that was able to take your mind off from things and help you forget all the shit happening. And a ladies night surely did not sound that bad, since you didn’t have one since Gianna seized to be.

Averting your thoughts away from the green eyed woman and the sadness surrounding her death, you focus back on the box in front of you. Gingerly grabbing the edges, you pull the cover off and rest in on the side, gazing curiously inside the box.

From all the things you expected your father to have kept for you, from all the things you could think of finding inside, letters was surely not one of them. With your mouth falling agape slightly, all you can do at first is stare at the hundreds of letters neatly placed inside the box, some of them turning a bit yellowish from the passing years and some of them appearing quite new. A few photographs were stuffed here and there among the papers, mostly depicting moments from your youth or you and your father smiling for the camera at various ages and in front of just as various sceneries. Grabbing one, you stare at it; it was a picture of your seven-year-old self and your father standing near a lake not too far from Forks and smiling for the camera, while holding on to one huge fish each. A soft, bittersweet smile makes its way in your lips; you remembered that time. Your father, you and Jake with his father Billy had gone to the lake for a weekend of fishing. You had managed to get quite a few of them, but as you were returning, you and Jacob ran a bit further, ending up falling in a huge pool of mud. Oh, how angry you were with Jake! He had pushed you in after all and at the last moment, you had grabbed his hand firmly, taking him down with you.

It was such a lovely time.

Setting the photograph to the side, you decide to take out a letter next. Grabbing one of the older ones, you gingerly try to pry it off and open it, minding not to tear anything else on your way to it.

Opening it, you are once again greeted by your father’s messy handwriting.

_My dearest ______,_

_ You’ve yet to seize surprising me every day! Today you said your very first words! How happy I was to see you running around the house, barefooted and grinning widely to me as we were playing hide and seek... I have to admit, you’re not too good at it but I always fall for your pouting face; you are going to be raised spoiled if I fall for your tricks in the future as well… But no! I’m not going to fall for that, you’ve already got me quite a few times and got your way!... Where was I? Oh, yes, you said your very first words! So I was searching for you all over the house –I already knew you were hiding behind the couch- and decided to turn the tables a bit. So I started fake-crying and saying that I would never see you again and I could no longer find you. Hearing that, you jumped from behind the couch, throwing your little hands in the air and yelling ‘D-daddy!’. You are barely two years old and you are already making me cry. How could I ever live without you?! Even if your mother is not here anymore, I promise, I’ll take good care of you and raise you to be a proper lady. One day, I will give you these letters as well, just so you can see you are more precious that you probably know. My little sunshine~ all I would ever wish for you is for joy and good health to follow your every step. And if anyone messes with you, daddy will take care of them._

_ Never trouble yourself too much, cause I will always be by your side._

_Love, Dad._

Tears. Tears of sadness mixed with love for your passed away father where blocking your (e/c) orbs, forcing you to wipe them away with the back of your hand, smiling sweetly and crying all at the same time as you felt your heart shatter inside your chest. These letters were everything your father left behind for you to find; his declaration of how much he loved you, how much you meant for you. And you were not even there in his time of need. You were not there to help him or even save him. No, you had left him behind and that was something you would never forgive yourself for.

Pushing back the sobs and trying to clear your eyes, you take a hold of a newer looking letter.

_My dearest _______,_

_ Embry just came here and told me that you won’t return home. Apparently, and I will quote his exact words ‘The Royal Leeches have taken you hostage in return for the lives of the f*cking Cullens and Isabella Swan. You will never return, you will never see us again.’_

_ Though it saddens me to see you go like this, to see you stripped from your freedom and right to decide for yourself, I can’t be anything but proud of you for choosing to do the right thing. Because that is not always easy and there is nothing more noble in sacrificing yourself for the good of another soul. Because no matter what the others from the Tribe believe, everyone that has life inside of him has a soul as well. I won’t lie to you and say that I will not miss you or that I’m not sad about not seeing your smile anymore. I will miss you dearly, so make sure to send me traces that you are okay every now and then. And don’t worry, I know the daughter I have raised and I know you will come back eventually, as I know that I’ll be here waiting for you. I love you too much my daughter. You have made me proud. I raised you well in the end and you evolved into a fine young woman, able to take matters into her own hands –even if you have some anger management issues every now and then-. Have no fear. Everything that you set your mind in, you can succeed it; with or without help. I only want you to be safe. Keep your rare gift close to your heart and trust your instincts. Because in the end of the day, they are the only ones that know the way._

_ I will wait for you to come back, preparing your favorite sweets and food. Only keep your eyes open; some enemies do not always appear right away._

_ And always remember, I love you._

_Love, Dad._

Tears were staining the letter. Realizing that, you quickly distance yourself from the piece of paper in fear of ruining the words written on it. With the back of your hand, you wipe away the tears and biting down your lip, you pick up another letter. This time, from the date on it, it was written the night your father died and by the look of the letters, it was hastily written. Biting down your sorrow, you begin to read.

_ My dear and beloved daughter _______,_

_ I strongly believe there is no more time left for me. The pills I’m taking for my heart are not helping me and the storm prevents the phone from working. So I fear something is going to happen to me and I won’t get the chance of telling you everything that I want. Even if you are away, my thoughts and love are always with you, to be happy, to be safe and to be protected by people who truly care for you. Living or not._

_ I sincerely wish we had more time in our hands. I wish that this conversation would be possible to be face to face, where I can easily hug you and reassure you of my love, since what I am about to tell you, is not an easy feat to succeed. But you have to know. You have to know because there is a high possibility that one day, you will be in grave danger. A mighty foe is after you and I am afraid I can no longer keep you safe as I did when you were younger. I cannot phase anymore, I cannot fiercely protect you; so I wish with all my heart that you find the right people to do that on my stead._

_ But you must already be confused. Let me tell you the truth about what happened to your mother and how you came to be. You have to keep an open mind and always remember that you are my only daughter and I love you with all my heart._

_ So forgive me for lying to you. Forgive me for being a coward into telling you the truth sooner, but I had hoped I had hidden you well enough never to be discovered. I realize and see my selfish ways now, so all I can do is warn you for the foes that might search for you. Never forget that all I did, I did because I thought it was the best for you and my love for you remains unwavering forever. In this life and the next one._

_ So let me explain things._

_ Your mother came to me one stormy night through the peering darkness of the trees. I was at the time just a young werewolf, running with the Tribe and had just lost my Mate and my first child, both of whom died in childbirth, and I was contemplating taking my own life soon enough in order to follow them both. So in that fateful night, when the lightning was tearing the skies apart and the wind howled louder than my friends, your mother came running through the forest. The moment I saw her, I knew something was wrong. Blood was running freely from her head, staining her long hair and white dress, which was torn and blooded in many places, probably from some unknown enemy or the forest. Maybe both. What I can remember vividly, like it was yesterday, was her beautiful face contorted into a mask of pure horror as she held onto her belly tightly and ran with everything she had, only for her eyes to land on me in my wolf form._

_ When she saw me standing there, she dropped on her knees and begged me to save her; powerful foes were after her and she had no power left in her to keep them away. She begged me to save her and take her somewhere safe. At first I was surprised; how did she know what I was without me even turning back into a human; my companions thought of it strange as well. But when she called upon the Great Spirit for protection, I knew I had to keep her safe in the name of the ancient Wolf People. It was my duty to help her._

_ Smelling that something was amiss inside the forest, I send my companions to search for the enemy before taking your mother back in my house. The moment we were inside, it was obvious that she was already going into labor. Water, blood and dirt were the only things covering her as I lied her on the bed where she gave birth to you. The moment I saw you, barely fitting in my two hands, screaming and kicking and crying your eyes out, I couldn’t help myself and remember my own child which I never got the chance of seeing. But your mother was in a very bad state. I knew she had barely minutes left to live and in those moments, she trusted me with her most precious things in the entire world._

_ Giving me a photo of herself, she revealed to me what she and you were. She told me there would be enemies coming for you, so I had to swear to her to hide you and keep you safe with my own life. I would have to swear that I would take care of you._

_ And I did._

_ Without giving it a moment’s thought, I agreed to raise you as my own daughter and love and keep you safe, even if that meant giving up my life for you. Your mother seemed pleased. I was about to hand you over to her but upon doing so, I realized she had finally passed away, leaving you and me behind._

_ I kept you safe. I kept you hidden away from all foes and inside the only place you could be safe and hidden; because the strong scent of the wolves overpowered yours an your mother’s and kept you safe from whoever was coming after you. Even after losing my wife and child and hating the village, I decided to stay and raise you as if you were my own._

_ Because in the end of the day, you were my own. I was the one that raised you and loved you and sometimes, that is enough to overpower the bond of blood. You gave me life back and I was only living for you. I know that all these must hurt you immensely, turn your world upside down, but I want you to know that I loved and always love you with all my heart and soul, in this world and the many next. You are my only daughter and there is nothing I wouldn’t do for you. I only beg you to forgive me. Forgive me for lying to you all those years, for keeping the truth and hiding away your true lineage._

_ Yet remember, you are always my daughter and what I own is yours as well. My world is your own as well, because I couldn’t do anything else but offer it to the little smiling you, who brought me back from the dead and gave me life. I love you my daughter and never let anyone tell you otherwise. I pray to the Great Spirit to keep you safe and I will make sure to protect you from anywhere I might be._

_ In this world and in the other, I pray that light will always light your way home._

_ I love you with all my heart, Dad._

The letter fell gracefully on the table, released from your cold fingers, as your whole body froze and your heart stopped.


	38. Chapter 35 Carry On My Wayward Son

Water.

Powerful. Life giving. Merciless.

Yet it shifts and changes faster than anything else. It endures. Waits. Heals.

Everything started and everything will end with the sea. Land came to the surface through the serene and nurturing embrace of the sea, breaking through her and reaching the air to grace the planet with life-giving power. As the waves reach up to touch the distant skies and eventually crash mercilessly on the unmoving stones of beaches and shores long forgotten, that's how life will eventually come to its end; the sea will once again come up and swallow all life whole, pulling her once again to its serene and lethal embrace. Each and every man loves the sea for that single fact; many will argue, try to deny the fact that even if they do not favor her, they do feel a certain amount of awe and fear when they gaze upon her. It is a lie. All of us, young or old, male or female, all of us know that to mess with her in any way will be the downfall; the fear has etched itself on our very souls, written down by the eons we walk this beautiful planet. We fear it and we should.

At certain times though, no matter how much she frightens us, she keeps being the same nurturing mother that gave birth to us. When times like those come forth, she extends her lulling hands and gives us a safe refuge to lick our wounds and weep without anyone seeing. Tenderly, peacefully, she envelops us like a mother and lets us take all the frustrations life is throwing upon us out, so we can release our trapped souls yet again and breathe in the air with nothing to hold us back or soil our light once again. Because she offers her refuge without any sign of judgment or resentment no matter who you are and what you have done. And you were no exception to the rule whatsoever; in times like these, were your mind was plagued with memories and emotions all becoming one indistinguishable concoction that threatened to rip you apart from the inside out and you were left powerless to do a single thing.

Clenching your jaw, you eject yourself out of the barrel of the wave, flipping the surfing board flawlessly over and behind the wave with one single fluid motion. Your feet ached with the sheer power and exertion you had placed upon them, following your burning lungs into nudging your brain in a desperate attempt to draw its attention. Yet there was nothing your body could do to distract your absolutely focused mind; it had shut everything off, pushing you to surf through the huge waves coming ashore caused by the storm that was fast on its way. Instead, you allowed the waves to envelop you like a secure blanket, cutting you off from the noise and pain of the outside world; your hands danced upon the warm waters, tenderly running through them and feeling the electricity coursing through your veins like the most exquisite of drugs. Tasting salt in your mouth. Feeling the warmth after what seemed like endless winter. Hearing them whisper sweet lullabies to your ears. Reaching deep where your heart rested and proving you that you were still much alive.

Even if it felt like death. The warmth –oh, so different from the feather-like wintry touches Demetri had given you last night- was alien to your soft yet bruised skin after what seemed like endless winter. It didn't alert your senses, it didn't refresh you like a deep breath of icy cold air in the dead of winter where nature is waiting and everything stands still under the dazzling white blanket. No, it was warm; your limbs were relaxing involuntarily, your eyes and lips burning from the weird mixture of salt and water; you were soaked from top to bottom and the warmth was so strange, so... unfamiliar. You hated it. Hated everything regarding it and were disgusted with yourself in the memories of relinquishing in it numerous times in the past. It was alien and unwelcoming, like the whole earth which turned into a mighty stranger in just a single hour.

It crumbled right in front of you and you were stripped from everything you knew, everything that once made you who you were.

Your father was not your real father.

Such a simple sentence, but what a damage it can cause to a person.

Images of the smiling, warm man were flooding your mind non-stop. Drowning away everything, **everything** leaving you unable to think of anything but them and the single sentence that suddenly made everything lose their glow. You were little and he was teaching you to read. You were in the first grade and he puffed beside you like a proud peacock on your first day at school. You were ten and came back with straight A's only to have him tear up. You were fourteen and crying uncontrollably, hand broken by a fall you couldn't avoid in your carelessness and he was beside you picking you up and carrying you to the doctor. You were fifteen and spend movie nights with him, laughing and commenting on the bad acting. You were seventeen and left him behind. You were almost eighteen and you came back to an empty house. You are almost eighteen and you found out your whole life is a lie.

Biting savagely down on your bottom lip, you duck under the wave with nothing but cold precision, avoiding the white skillfully and coming out from the other side. Lungs inhaling the electrified air; (h/l) hair clinging tightly on your head, heavy by the extra water they carried along for a mere five seconds. A lightning tore through the skies and boomed loudly in the distance, while a wolf cry echoed from behind you.

Averting your gaze from the blackened sky coming your way over the sea, you turn and see four figures standing tall on the beach, by the looks of it looking straight at you. You sigh deeply, allowing your aching muscles to finally give out. Of course the wolves were going to figure you out and pay a visit; honestly speaking, you half expected them to be at your doorstep today, demanding to know what the fuck was that with Embry. You sigh again and drop on your belly, pedaling a little bit with your hands towards the coast; c'mon ____, you've dealt with more monsters than a few hormonal werewolves but goddammit what does a girl got to do around here to get some peace. It was hard to get away from the girls for a few hours and now this. Hmmm, now that you think about it, maybe you are in need for a new coat or gloves.... Which wolf would volunteer?

As soon as you set foot on the sand, a scoff comes and you roll your eyes exasperatedly, pulling your board on your hands and walking over to them.

'Thought it'd be a calm evening, but oh well~ me and my luck am I right?' you rest your free hand on your hip and watch each and every one of the wolves, who were in no way as amused as you were, wearing grim expressions.

'Embry is a mess _____. How could you do this to him?' Jacob is the first to speak, his brown eyes stern but with a hint of sadness until he notices your face; the swollen eyes, the bitten lips. The circles of tiredness hanging under your eyes 'You've been crying..' it was more of a statement than a question and his eyebrows shot to almost meet with his hairline, jaw loosening and mouth half opening as his posture relaxed in front of your tortured self. You looked so tired; almost ready to collapse.

You swallow hard, never straying your (e/c) orbs from him as you calculated the best course of action; you weren't going to comment on your current visage that's for sure and you were in no way ready or holding on the energy to argue them like you did in the past. Defeat. You were simply defeated 'I'm really sorry about what happened with Embry, I truly am.' Your gaze softens and you struggle to keep your voice even 'How is h-'

'He's suffering.'

Another voice cuts Jake off before he had the chance to speak, leaving his with his mouth half open like he had grown dumb in a second; it was the only female she-wolf you knew existed in the pack: Leah Clearwater. Sam's ex and Harry's daughter who was known around the Tribe for being exceptionally bitter and quick to anger. You didn't really blame her with what she had went through, but dealing with her right now was absolutely out of the question. If looks could kill, the beautifully exotic girl would have killed you a hundred times already; her dark brown eyes inflamed with anger too great to be contained, making you feel even more ashamed about your actions last night. Yet Embry was not with them; it was only Jacob, Sam, Leah and Quill. Talk about cornered...yet...where was he?

'He's suffering because of you and there's no way to help him. Do you feel good about that?! How you broke his heart like a senseless bit-'

'Careful now Leah.' You interrupt her, grinning wickedly –albeit humorlessly- and dangerously 'I'm not Sam to neither keep up with your bullshit nor do I like you very much. So I suggest you keep this civilized or I'll put you on a leash.' Your threat is crystal clear on your voice and even if the other girl doesn't back off, she shuts her cakehole.

'_____' it was Sam who spoke now, causing the rest of his mutts to keep quiet as he regarded you sadly. There was nothing but sadness in him and somehow, it made everything all the most heartbreaking 'It would be appreciated if you can tell us things from your own perspective; we know you and we know you wouldn't hurt him willingly.'

'I' you try to speak but irritatingly, your voice breaks into nothingness. Trying again, flustered and angry, you look away and clear your throat 'I didn't mean to hurt him. I'd never hurt Embry; I'd die before that. Everything went sideways so fast yesterday, I...I couldn't calmly handle it. I love Embry, I really do, but he is not my –for lack of better words– imprint...' you shake your head.

'And that fucking leech is?!' Quill is the one to throw the accusing glare at you, your former best friend having changed from the last time you saw him; he wasn't the shy and reserved teenager you once knew, but a cocky werewolf that felt all too entitled.

Pridefully, you roll your shoulders out and try desperately not to slice his arrogant ass in half 'Demetri is my soulmate... yes. There was nothing I could do about it, like there's nothing you can do when the time comes.' You throw a sideway gaze at Sam, whose gaze saddens even more.

Still, you didn't want to let them think you were a heartless bitch when the reality was different and despite your fatigue, you'd die before you'd let them treat you like some little shit that poisons their air. So you stare back decisively and proudly, puffing out your chest 'You'll never understand how many times I wished for Embry to imprint on me.' you confess, mouth falling in a frown 'For all the love we had for one another, he still didn't imprint on me.'

'But it's not all about imprinting _____.' Jake tries and you sigh.

'Maybe not, maybe yes. Either way, it's too late for me now Jake; there's nothing for me here in Forks or La Push. I'm going to leave for good, so please keep the house my father lived in untouched; I don't have the courage to go back there but I don't want it destroyed since it's all that I've got left of him...' you trail off and feel your eyes sting you again. You blink away furiously. Damn! You caught the feels for good this time.

'Running away from your problems... how expected of you ______. All you ever did was run, even when we were little.' Quill scoffs bitterly.

'Leave her Quill; she's got a bloodsucking leech waiting for her. Maybe he'll snap her neck and rid us of her.' Leah comments with a scoff.

'Gratitude is a trait you always lacked Quill but I'd advise you to learn it soon enough; for everything I did for you when Embry and Jacob threw a cold shoulder and you wailed like a little bitch 'cause your friends left you with your pathetic self and the defense against the bullies in high school, you sure as hell forget easily.' Your voice is laced with coldness and Quill takes a small step back at your words, anger flashing in his brown eyes and fists tightening; he wanted to lash out but you talked nothing but the truth, so you raised a defiant and challenging eyebrow 'C'mon now, I've killed much more vampires than you ever will and I'm just _dying _to add a werewolf to the mix. Come at me bro.'

'We' Sam throws a warning glare at Quill and Leah, with Quill looking absolutely insulted but unable to do anything about it and Leah looking just as pissed, yet Sam's tone and glare was both a warning and an order before he turns to you 'We can truly help you ____. From what I can understand the vampires keeping you are royalty; still, we can offer you both protection and cover if you just let us. You're one of us _____ and we protect our own.' The Alpha of the pack declares and his gaze softens as he regards you, offering you a reassuring small smile that shutters your heart even more. He wasn't evil; he wasn't anything but an honorable man trying to keep what was left of his tribe untouched and well and that included you as well 'Our homes will always welcome you _____. With or without your human state; you're a Quileute after all.'

This time you cannot keep it in anymore; hot tears blossom in your (e/c) orbs and cascade your cheeks as you let out a choking, unamused laugh; which is more like a strained sob than anything else. Sam's eyes widen in surprise; Jake –who was too conflicted to talk up until now– tries to pull you into an embrace, but you yelp and jump back as if he burnt you irreparably.

'D-don't touch me.' you declare, voice freely broken and gaze fixated on the sand underneath your feet 'I...I don't want anyone touching me right now; it's.... it's really hard for me Jake.'

You sigh desperately and look up at your friend who by now is tearing up as well; Jacob had seen you crying a total of three times and each and every single one of them he beat the source of your pain to pulp. Yet now he knew, he somehow knew deep down that there was no one to take his anger out; you were broken and there was no way to truly help you even if he was willing to. These demons plaguing you could not be chased away and it tore him apart from the inside out. It was finally the time that everything took its toll on you: the pain, the suffering, everything changing and the fear coursing through your veins like melted silver. How easy life was before all this happened; before you knew anything about werewolves, vampires and bloodlines. Simply living your life with your beloved friends, who now were torn apart beyond any recognition whatsoever. War had changed you; a war that wasn't even your own. You had changed; truly you did and so did they. Nothing was the same and every cord connecting you with them shuttered, informing you that there was no going back.

So you cried freely.

For yourself. For your friends. For the common future you no longer had. For the lies, the truths and the hearts still longing for one another. How much can a single person withstand before he breaks? For you, this was the line: the realization of the high probability of never seeing them again. You were not one of them. You never were.

'You owe me nothing Sam. You never did actually, since I'm not a Quileute. My father is not my real father; after his imprint and daughter died, he found my mother wounded on the woods, pregnant to me. He raised me as one his own. This is why I never fitted with you in the first place. So I'm going to leave and never come back.'

It was a realization that broke the wolves' hearts as much as it did yours.

_ **~ * ~** _

'Rose, if the knots keep like that, I'll just shave it. Don't ti-'

'Do not even **_dare_** speak to me about shaving your hair ____! It'll just take longer, I suppose!' Rosalie almost growls, tenderly trying to ease out your tangled (h/c) knots, a task she's been at for about fifteen minutes now. The brush pains you every now and then as it tries to break through and the blonde was surely reaching the end of her patience; referring to a vampire, it said quite a lot. No matter how much you tried to convince her it was better to simply cut the knots, she only and literally growled at you and mumbled something about hair and salt.

Bella whines loudly from somewhere across from you 'This thing itches; can I take it off now Alice?'

'Not if you still want to have perfect skin for the wedding. Five minutes left.'

It was a lazy, slow night for you.

After your little encounter with the wolves on the beach, you walked all the way back to your house, surfboard at hand and thunder echoing hard above you as the storm rolled over the entirety of the forest. If it was any other time, you would have rushed; you would have either called Bella or Alice to come pick you up, rather than walk for forty five minutes straight through the raging rain beating on you like some kind of whip trying to make your skin give out from your bones. Of course, you didn't mind it; didn't mind at all as the lighting blazed faraway trees and fell almost inches above your head, making the ground shake violently underneath your bare feet. Eyes half lidded, breath unlabored and even, hair clinging desperately on your shoulders and face, you luxuriate in the cold numbness of utter relief. The way the cold droplets cascaded your skin and face, the way the air reeked of mould mixed with water and soil, giving everything around you an earthly feeling along with a slight silver mist that desperately clung onto the edges of the trees, as if you were in some kind of horror movie and the Beast was ready to snatch you up and slain you forever; or maybe, those dark tales of maidens getting lost into the deep, alluring forest never to be seen again.

It lulled you with promises of no more pain, of utter numbness and coldness that you oh so desperately looked for. Maybe you longed for it; maybe you longed to get away and eventually be forgotten by everything and everyone you ever loved, since only one of them truly mattered and it was sure that he would follow you wherever you went. It sounds quite appealing indeed. No longer remembered by anyone, no longer bound to a duty you hadn't chosen for yourself and above all, released from the heavy weight of your past. A past you couldn't change. A past you couldn't run from.

Eventually reaching yours and Demetri's home, you were greeted in the threshold by a very, **_very _**angry blonde vampire. Rosalie was standing tall and menacing under the protection of the porch, hands resting on her hips and one slender foot tapping impatiently on the wooden surface as her golden eyes glared daggers at you. She wasn't amused, wasn't amused at all seeing you drenched to your bones and behind her, Bella and Alice threw you apologetic looks.

Turns out when Alice and Bella realized what had happened and how you ran off... **again**... they enlisted the blonde vampire's help to look after you 24/7. Rosalie was the only one around here you couldn't escape with your temper tantrums, since she was just as thick-headed as you. Swallowing hard, you bowed your head down as she scolded you like you were a petulant child and gave yourself completely over to her nurturing care without as much as a single peep. Rose helped you bathe, warmed you up with various towels and blankets, and eventually after you got dressed devoted herself and Alice into turning this night into a 'Lady's Care Night'. Many boxes of sushi littered the floor of the living room, which was currently covered in blankets and various care products –half of them you weren't even remotely able to name. Both humans were being pampered, with Bella having Alice paint her nails and a mask over her face –much to her dislike- and Rose was currently trying to braid your hair as you waited for your own mask and calmly sipped from your wine glass and watched calmly as Regina George was at it again in Mean Girls, playing on the TV. It was your third glass for tonight and you got no plans on stopping anywhere near the future.

'You never seize to amaze me girls, where the hell did you get this Moschofilero?' you muse as Rosalie rests the brush and finally starts braiding skillfully 'It's so awesome, I feel like I'm back in Greece.'

'I ordered them for the wedding since I have an acquaintance in Greece that produces them.' Alice chuckles and helps Bella take her mask off, as you down the rest of the liquid and pop a sushi piece in your mouth, happily filling your stomach with delicious food.

Bella grumbles lightly as Alice pulls the mask off and she doesn't seem amused in the least, slapping Alice's hand away when she tries to apply another unidentified paste on her in a bright bubble pink color. Instead, the brunette tried to distract the pixie's attention by shooting a question to you 'Where else have you been with Demetri and Felix _____? I've bet they probably dragged you through half the world by now.'

You take a lazy sip from your drink thoughtfully, watching the straw yellow liquid lazily move around your crystal glass; the light from the fireplace reflected on it gracefully, making it glisten 'I've been in Germany, France and Spain. One time we had a mission in Russia and goddammit was it cold... Spain –and especially Andalucía- was simply breathtaking; we didn't have much time with the missions going on, but in a few instances, Demetri would take me for a walk around town to see the most famous landmarks. In almost a month, we toured them all. Still prefer Italy though..' you simply shrug 'There's a special holiday they have around May, when they go to the shores and release lanterns in the sky; you make a wish and by the time winter rolls, it comes true!'

'And they really believe they come true? How naïve can they get?' you can hear Rosalie roll her eyes even if you didn't see her.

'It came true for me when Demetri took me there.' you shrug emotionlessly, sipping a bit of wine.

Bella tilted her head to the side in curiosity 'What did you wish for?'

'To come home.'

Silence fell over the four of you, grim and heavy like a blanket of suffocating air and awkwardness. Calmly, you kept breathing and sipping wine, staring off into the fire of the fireplace, where the flames danced majestically and offered warmth for the humans occupying the living room; outside, you could still hear the rain pelleting the roof with all its might, followed by a flash of lighting every now and then. You wondered if Demetri was somewhere protected from the rain. Not that he would get a cold but still...

'_____' Alice tried, pulling you out of your thoughts and turning your face towards her, she is watching you closely with a distressed and saddened expression on her face.

'I'm okay. I really am.'

Who were you trying to convince? Them or yourself?

'You said Demetri took you there? As in a date?' Bella tries to lighten the mood up and for the first time it actually works; a small smile graces your lips and your aura turns a bit brighter in the mention of the Casanova vampire and his lame attempts at flirtation. Which you loved but you'll be damned before you actually admit it.

Memories of that night flood your mind, his words and presence filling every inch of your mind and your memories; it was the first night you felt something stir inside you for him. Not that you'd realize it until further on, but under the beautiful warm lights of the lanterns and the flash of that cocky grin as he declared he would make you his did a number to you. Only you were too stubborn and hurt to see it then. How handsome had he looked with his frosted brown hair tousled and grin wide as his wine red eyes shone under the glow of the small fires and the stars... How could you not fall for him right then and there?

'It was our first date.' You reveal and Alice laughs deviously, covering her mouth with her small hand mischievously.

'She fell for him then. I saw it in one of my visions.' She admits, shaking her head 'He fancied you from the moment he saw you though; a worthy opponent for the number one flirt of the vampire world.'

'You can imagine my surprise.' You visibly shudder and down the rest of your glass 'Ugh, _feelings_.' (a/n: if you get the reference you are awesome XD )

Behind you, Rose scoffs 'Maybe you should go easy with the wine ______.'

'Oh good god Rose, you sound just like Demetri.' You roll your eyes but laugh nonetheless 'I can handle it no worries and besides, after all that's happened, I really need it.'

'Judging by the bruises, somebody is not going to be too happy to find you drunk though.' She gently chastises, trying to keep her voice calm.

Humming to yourself amusingly, you reach out for the homemade paste you have spread across the majority of your bruises; with cold hands you forget the wine and the food for a bit in order to stir the paste a bit so your skin has time to absorb it better. They don't really hurt as much as they did in the morning, or maybe your muscles were screaming out more than them. Still, you shiver a little bit due to the coldness, since you were in nothing but your bra and pajama pants.

'Something tells me they're going to get worse.' You wink deviously at Bella who was looking at you, making her choke on her wine. She coughs loudly and Alice tries to pat her back without mauling her in the process.

'Maybe we have to talk to the vampire Don Juan about besting his tries to keep you alive. If this goes on longer, I think he'll break you in the process.' Alice laughs but behind you, a small growl comes from Rose who tightens her grip on your hair almost painfully.

'What is it about the two of you? You're throwing your chances of having a normal family with a human husband and kids away. Don't you both understand vampirism will shred these chances apart? First it was Bella and now it's you _____.' the beautiful girl throws an accusatory gaze that could burn people alive both to you and to Bella, who only stiffens and averts her gaze to the side.

'I've made my choice Rosalie and there is no going back from that; I want Edward and no one else. Not even my soul if it comes down to that.' Bells mutters lowly, her voice shaking a bit around the edges yet you knew her mind was set on it and never coming back.

Rosalie growls lowly once more and by the sound of it, her jaw is tightened in dismay 'Foolish girls. You don't know what you're getting yourselves int-'

'Rose it's not that simple.' You interrupt her before she has the chance to finish what she was saying 'Not every woman wants a large family with many kids. Sure many want them, but there are others that are content with other things. You don't have to see the future like Alice does, to know Bella's gonna chose Edward above all else. While I won't live to see my 30th birthday, so why should I give birth to a child that'll grow up like me? Without their mother and with a foreign father? Tell me a reason why I should subject it to that?'

'Wait, wait, wait.' Bella interrupts you, raising her hand in the air '______. You're dying?!'

Three pairs of eyes pierce your skin like needles; worry and surprise are painted all over them, with Bella's bottom lip quivering dangerously as her eyes begin to bloom with humidity and her raised hand starts to shake violently. Alice and Rosalie on the other hand are staring at each other with knowing looks; something told you that either Carlisle told them about it, or Alice had seen it in one of her visions, which was so much worse considering that maybe she knew exactly _when _you were going to die.

Sighing deeply, you pass a hand through your (h/l) (h/c) locks; when Heidi called you to inform you about the secret deal Demetri and Aro had, she didn't fail to inform you about the warning Aro had given. It wasn't easy to hear that you were running on borrowed time, but in your haste to put Rosalie back to her place you had foolishly let it slip. It hadn't mattered up until then; you were human, you knew you were going to die eventually. But seeing your best friend's eyes watering and releasing the tears, as well as the handsome vampire that had confessed his true and unchangeable feelings to you, it made matters all too different. Maybe Demetri would be able to move on after you were gone, but did that necessarily mean you were ready to let him go? Now that you finally realized he is your one and true home? Then again, death would grand you peace and a chance to be with your father and mother once again.

'Yes, apparently I am dying.' You finally confess, as you reach out to fill your glass with wine once again and proceed to down it in one go. You flinch in the taste 'The more I'm using my powers, the more my lifespan decreases. I don't know how much left I have, but it can't be more than twenty years... Maybe even less.'

'We have to do something! There has to be a way to help you!' Bella exclaims loudly 'Alice can you see her future?! Maybe there's a way for her to know what happens so she can avoid using her powers!'

Alice remains silent for a bit; the pixie vampire averts her gaze from the expectant human on her left and gazes for the first time since you know her, at her tangled hands. Eyebrows meet in concentration over her sorrowful golden eyes and her lips press together in dismay, until she finally opens her mouth cautiously 'I.... I can't do that Bella.'

'Uh...what?' the brunette seems almost unnerved.

Her golden eyes snap to you, sorrow giving depth to the amber orbs 'I can't look into your future anymore ______. Every time I try –and believe me I've tried many times- I can only see two or three months ahead, tops. It's like you've been erased and the only thing I can see is static and blackness. I tried looking into Demetri's future and you're blurred out in it as well.'

In her words, a deep heaviness settles upon your heart, adding to the already existing one.

'Well that's just fucking great.' You murmur, more to yourself than the other girls.

After all those revelations, the mixture of wine and bad news combined slyly into a concoction of haziness. Without really realizing it, the fatigue and emotional draining of the day took its toll on you, leaving your eyelids heavy and eventually throwing you unceremoniously into the numbing embrace of sleep. It was a relief to say the least; the constant pounding of your mind eventually seized and your heartbeat relaxed. Leaning against the soft pillows of the sofa that were suddenly extremely inviting, you allowed your surroundings to fade away and be replaced by the blankness of unconsciousness, even if in the distance you could still hear the storm raging on. Actually, the rain was lulling you even more, allowing the cold numbness spread through you and calm your aching nerves even more. Silence prevailed all around you, even if after what seemed like a good while, you were aware of the thrusting of clothes and hushed murmurs with a melodious, male voice.

Cold hands enveloped you and someone picked you up with little to no effort at all, carrying you towards an unknown destination. Barely aware, your heart elated when your head came in contact with a soft surface and the said cold hands pulled you against a sturdy chest. Instinctively, you wrapped your hands around it and sighed contently, inhaling the divine scent of honey, lilac and summer rain. A chuckle reverberated lowly and a cold hand tangled itself in your (h/c) locks, gently caressing them, alas, you were already too far away to care anymore.

** _~*~*~_ **

Pure white light filtered through the windows, passing undisturbed under your gingerly closed eyelids and reaching deep down where you lay sleeping, started stirring you awake. At first, your brain was still too tangled into the warm and hazy dream to even care about anything trying to wake you up, but your body had replenished its strength and was slowly but steadily commanding you to wake up. Ambient sounds of gingerly falling rain, the bed creaking and the shuffling of the covers reached your ears, as consciousness started falling into place and pulling you in what appeared to be paradise. Because for that moment, there was no pain, no sorrow plaguing your heart; content and strangely elated, you found no regret in you for waking up, even if you knew the nightmare would be there to welcome you once again with open arms. Alas, recognizing the coldness spreading on your right and the soft chuckle echoing, you knew it was a brand new day where your home was with you.

Yet there was something strange; your hands were above your head and for a strange reason, they couldn't move; your mind tugged you to open your eyes and see what was going on, but the moment your (e/c) orbs open, you are assaulted by a sea of frosted brown hair and cold lips attach themselves with the side of your neck.

Hard but careful kisses fall gracefully on your neck, pulling, tugging and almost harshly biting down on the marked flesh with tantalizing carefulness, managing to send a jolt through your entire body and chase the last traces of sleep away.

'G-good morning to you t- Ah!' your sentence is cut sort as the surprised exclaim leaves you when fangs bite down on the special spot of your neck, not too hard to break the skin but enough to draw a reaction from you. Lithe tongue shoots out to lick the spot provocatively, making you lean your head back as far as you can to allow better access.

'Buongiorno mio cuore.' A sea of burgundy colored eyes falls upon your (e/c) own, voice low and filled with emotions as Demetri smiles a dazzling smile before connecting your lips in a scandalous, bruising kiss.

Instinctively, your hands try to lean down and get lost in his perfectly tousled hair, but to your utter dismay they are already tied up in the headboard of the bed. Whining softly into the kiss, Demetri passes his tongue over your lips begging you for access which you happily provide. Cold tongue collides with a burning hot one and his exquisite taste assaults your senses; sighing into the kiss, your body shoots up to cup against his own and the man growls satisfied.

One cold hand takes advantage of the space you've provided him with, gently caressing your skin and coming to rest on your butt instead, as his tongue keeps doing expertly lascivious things to yours. His kiss has nothing to do with the carefulness it possessed last night; as if some switch turned in him, he releases all the neediness and hunger he has for you, taking you aback by the magnitude of it. His free hand tangles itself inside your hair, pulling them abruptly and making you cry out loud as he creates an opening to attack your neck yet again and even wonder further down. Every single touch on your obviously inflamed skin is like a jolt of uncensored eagerness; vaguely you register that your pajama top is missing, probably used to tie your hands, and that your chest is completely bare to his hungry eyes and mouth.

Demetri almost smirks to himself for the idea of using your shirt as rope; lying almost completely bare under him, your beautiful (s/c) skin is flustered majestically and your breaths come out as labored pants. Your beauty was and always will be unrivalled for him and the fact he gets to see you like this, vulnerable and needy and wanton with just the faintest of caresses, is something that awakens something raw and instinctive inside him. He almost loses it; he almost surrenders himself to your mouthwatering vanilla scent and his mind just barely holds onto its senses and stops his body from shredding apart the rest of your clothing and fucking you raw. No, your pleasure and safety always comes first and his regret to leave you alone even for just a night was only magnified by the news the smaller Cullen told him about you. So instead, he makes this all about you; his heart, his soulmate which is finally under him after all those centuries, heart almost jumping out of your chest and lust-filled eyes lidded as you regard him with pure adoration.

'Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.' His voice is painted majestically with his lust and your heart misses a beat in his words.

A cold, feather-like kiss befalls among your breasts and his hand travels to graze your right one ever-so-softly, earning him a soft moan that escapes your lips before you had the chance to control it. Yet as his mouth presses carefully on the curve of it, kissing around the sensitive area, you groan loudly and tug desperately on your restrains until he grants your silent wish and envelopes your hardened peak in his icy mouth. Your filled with pleasure cry reverberates on the walls to reach back to you, coming out as a gasp when he deepens and bites harder down to it and his other hand travels on the neglected breast and toys with it by pinching hard and pulling, causing your back to make a perfect arc towards his in desperation to find more friction. Then he switches and it's torture all over again. Cold skin against boiling hot one is a stark contrast that orders your skin to shiver hard; the dampness already forming between your legs only becomes way worse due to it and the merciless ministrations Demetri is providing you with. Though you weren't oblivious to his hardened member prodding on the inside of your thigh and in response, your legs spread and hips move against him to chase that elusive friction that would grand you release.

'P..please....Demetri I-Ah! Haaa..' you try to say and mercifully, the man releases your breast with a small 'pop' and smiles up to you from among your breasts.

'How can I say no to my human when she begs so nicely?' he chuckles darkly and kisses your stomach.

Abruptly, he leans back on his knees, watching you closely with his liquid ruby eyes as he smiles smugly and grabbing the sides of his shirt, pulls it off with a swift move and tosses it to the side. Chiseled to perfection alabaster chest comes in sight and you marvel at the beauty of the man standing right before you, all sly smiles and lust filled gazes up and down your needy body that is so ready for him, it's almost painful. And Demetri knows it; by the sound of your frantic heart even you can hear and the way your legs push together and try to create friction, to the way you pant and gaze at him with nothing but lust. It has the man chuckle darkly as he is left in only his sweatpants and allows your eyes to freely roam all over him. The bulge is visible and in the sight of it you feel your insides melt away as a wild blush paints your cheeks a crimson to rival his eyes.

In one daring move though, you spread your legs wide open for him to have a clear view on how hot and bothered you were for him right now; his burgundy eyes follow your movement and as they set on a certain spot, you can swear you see him swallow hard before his eyes meet your lidded ones and he smiles cockily.

'You are so beautiful all spread out like this, just for me..' his hands caress your legs, starting from the knees and giving way as his head lowers to the same height and he starts planting kisses further and further along and lower inside your thighs, venturing towards the area you wanted him the most and igniting your bones all over again.

'Demetri...' you sigh and pull on your restrains 'F-fuck me.'

'What was that?' he teases you and you whimper, sifting and trying to pull him further along inside your thighs.

'Look how wet you are ____.' He marvels and to your utter blissful surprise, a single digit comes to touch your clit before sliding downwards with a punishing yet blazing slow pace that has you arcing and moaning loudly 'Your lips always made me wonder what the rest of you would taste like...Shall I try out?' he teases you, before nimble hands wrap around the hem of your shorts and he tears them apart with a swift move.

Lips come in contact with your still shielded by your panties clit, pressing a kiss on it before his tongue shoots out and licks the sensitive area. This time your moan is erratic and you pull desperately on your already pained hands as Demetri kisses your clit and then proceeds to drag the flat of his tongue across it, setting you ablaze and turning the world into nothing but his movements. He enjoys the way your panties are absolutely soaked, filling his nose and mouth with your heavenly taste and full smell, drowning every other thing but you from around him or his mind.

You fail to comprehend when your panties come off. Suddenly though, his tongue was licking directly on your skin before it plunges deep into you and you cry out in surprise and absolute bliss. Demetri moans and his hands snake around your legs and lock you in place as he shoves his head even further in; his tongue enters your core with no hesitation and you walls clench around him as you cry out and throw your head back when he begins to rotate his tongue and lap up all of your juices like a man in the brink of starvation. When he withdraws it, he proceeds to lick at your clit mercilessly and your hips erupt with pain as you try to raise them under his steely grip, settling to only rotate faintly and add on the already overwhelming pleasure rushing through you like white hot lava. A tight knot is rapidly forming on your belly, moving and piercing you hotly, threatening to push you over the edge of all sanity; the bedroom is filled with the coarse sounds of your loud moans and licking sounds.

'De...Demetri I-AH! I'm co-'

Never would you finish that sentence. Because right then, Demetri plunged two of his fingers inside you, skillfully moving them in a loose hook that grazed against your g-spot.

The knot broke.

White hot flames envelope you, as you cum hard on his hungry mouth, screaming loudly your release. The man kept lapping you up as you came down from your high and eventually rested against the soft bed heavily, panting and twitching every now and then. Your hands pained you considerably where the restrains had bore into your skin, yet it was an ache that dulled out due to the complete bliss washing over you.

Demetri reached up and released you from your confines, pulling your injured hands in his cold own and placing butterfly kisses as he lies carefully on top of you, cold skin serving to cool down your blazing own.

'You're so sexy when you're all hot and bothered.' He confesses, gently kissing the raw skin around your wrists, ruby eyes never straying from your (e/c) orbs as they regarded you with amusement.

Chuckling softly, you feel your chest ache from the aftermath of his caresses; great, more new bruises 'Do chicks fall for that line normally? I'm very surprised.' You laugh and sigh as he places a chaste kiss on your lips before smiling as well.

'I only care about one and she's positively happy to hear my pathetic attempts in flirtation.' He laughs and nuzzles lightly on your hand when you rest it on his cheek tenderly, reveling in the soft, cold skin underneath.

'Mission accomplished then! You've already managed to get into my panties. Now what?' you ask, shifting seductively under him and gazing straight into his eyes and challenging him with a sly grin, making him raise his eyebrows as he acknowledges it.

A cocky grin splits his handsome face in half, eyes glistening with lust and excitement 'Now, I fuck you for all the nights to come for the rest of our existences.' Leaning in to your ear, he licks the shell seductively before whispering 'Beginning right now.'

He barely gives you time to comprehend his words before the whole world disappears around you and your body is pulled forward with a sickening speed. Your muscles tighten in surprise and your mouth half opens to release a shriek, but before you really have the chance to do so, the world falls in place once again and you find yourself sitting on his lap in the middle of the bed, bare chests pressed against one another as he laughs his heart out at your unnerved expression.

'You'll get used to it eventually mio amore.' He gives you a small kiss.

'I doubt that.' You mumble and your hands raise themselves to rest on the sides of his beautiful face tenderly, before leaning down and connecting your lips.

This time he doesn't need to ask for permission as your lips half open immediately and your tongue passes his lips, finding his which pushes yours back and circles it lustfully and his hips move upwards sensually; rocking his hardened, excited member against your clit and you let out a soft moan in the kiss, earning a growl. Warmth once again envelops your lower stomach, pushing away any thought you might have except for him, and instinctively you wrap your legs around his waist, offering better access to your lower parts which grind against him painfully slowly. Lips disconnect and he bites down on your neck, making you arc towards him as he grabs a hold of your ass and squeezes painfully. A loud gasp escapes you, one of his hands moves to palm your breast roughly. Your legs push against him, trying to move him even closer, when his free hand travels to your sensitive spots and a jolt of pleasure makes you tangle your hands in his hair and grind yourself harshly on his erection.

A growl of satisfaction and excitement erupts from deep within his chest as his hand reaches down and caressing your clit, slides within you with no effort at all, finding you painfully excited and wet yet again. You moan loudly and snap your hips downward sharply; in response, Demetri adds another finger and scissors them expertly, driving you more and more towards the edge. Lewd noises of moans and wetness fill the room and it's insane how well he already knows every crevice of your body, pushing against your sensitive spots and eliciting exactly the reactions he wanted. Your heart drums loudly against your chest and your mouth places kisses and hard nips on his neck between lewd moans and whines.

Another rush of cockiness floods your heart and you let your hand wander down to cup the impressive bulge in his pants. Demetri gasps loudly and you squeeze a little bit more, smiling to yourself and leaning towards his ear with a devious grin.

'I want you to fuck me till I can't walk.' You confess in a haze.

He didn't need to be told twice.

He pulls your hips up with one hand and no effort at all, your hands help him lower his sweatpants just enough to release his throbbing dick from his confines. His hand grabs a tight hold of it and guides it skillfully on your dripping entrance, inserting the tip into your scorching heat. His girth was impressive and thick enough to intimidate you the first time, yet the lubrication offered by your dripping pussy is enough for him to slide into you with little to no effort. Your heart drops a little bit when you discover you're still a bit sore from yesterday, but still, you bite down on your bottom lip when he groans lustfully as he completely stretches you and moans in delight of how your tight walls clamp down to his throbbing length. Once he is fully inside, he gives you zero time to adjust before he starts thrusting up with enough power to pull you along in his movement, throwing your head back and moaning at the euphorically intoxicating sensation.

'Oh, God! Holy fuck!' you scream –in a mixture of raw pleasure and slight pain from your soreness–, your body bouncing against him in a fluid tempo of a harsh yet so inflaming pace. Your nails graze his back, unable to hurt him but providing raw movement; his hands drop to grab a painful grip on your ass, using it as lever to bounce you up and down even more brutally. He is too lost in the sensations, too forgotten inside your paralyzing heat to be slow; yet something in him keeps him from hurting you. A primal need to keep his mate intact.

'______!' he moans, mouth open and groaning as you start responding to his pace, moving your hips downwards to meet him in the middle with each and every merciless thrust, feeling him twitch inside you and push with fervor against that special hidden place in you. Your eyes roll in the back of your head and your mouth is left ajar in a breathless scream; you lose yourself in the sensation, piercing coldness enveloped by excruciating heat, the stark contrast in temperatures magnifying the sensations washing over both of you in steady, sinfully lustful waves. The tip of his dick collides again and again with your g-spot, bringing you closer and closer to your release, your walls clamping down heavenly on his girth and you are seconds away from total oblivion.

You scream his name and arc towards him.

He thrusts up hard and next thing you know, his teeth bite down on your neck mercilessly, snapping the knot and releasing the wild orgasm you had been building. Your walls clench down on him with all their might and the delirium of your second orgasm washes over you, as your hands desperately cling onto him. Demetri is not too far behind; with another deep thrust, he erupts within you with a loud groan that rivals your own in intensity and shudders. A cold sensation fills your insides and the man gives a few last thrusts, before he hugs you tightly and leans back onto the cold sheets, holding onto you for dear life.

Leaning comfortably on Demetri's chest, your eyelids flutter with tiredness and you sigh in content, head resting where his heart hid unable to beat for many many centuries now. Nuzzling a bit closer to him, your left hand starts drawing imaginary patterns on his bare chest, fingertips sliding over the almost smooth surface as a few marks of teeth or slashes that long ago healed marred him. How comfortable his coldness felt, able to ease your nerves and calm your weary mind by lulling it into a trance where nothing could really reach you; not as long as he was here. A comfortable cold you wanted to get lost within, sure you'd be protected and cherished like nothing else. Demetri steadily held you close, nose buried in your (h/c) locks and giving him free reign in inhaling your intoxicating scent as he held onto you for dear life, completely reluctant in loosing up even an inch, in case you slipped from his grasp and dissolved into nothing but memories and a pain one can feel even without a beating heart.

'Can we stay like this? Forever?' you mutter, voice sounding faint and ethereal, yet you knew perfectly well he had heard you quite clearly.

Demetri remains silent at first, his hand resting on your back, caressing you softly 'We could do whatever you want. You only have to ask and I will do anything for you.' He places a small kiss on your head.

'I want to go back to Voltera.' Was the simple answer you gave him, scooting even closer to him as if you could merge yourself with him once and for all; then, you wouldn't have to deal with the world outside. It was safe to say you were reluctant to walk out of these walls and lead yourself out in the open where everyone could see you and even if you went back to Italy, you wanted like nothing more to remain in your room watching movies with Alec and hugging Demetri for dear life as you slept.

On the sound of your words, the man freezes beneath you and his ministrations against your skin halt 'Is this because of what you learnt about your father? Or is it because of the wolves?' he asks and you know that the last question merely politely included a plural to mask his real question indirectly. You also knew that a certain pixie-like vampire had opened her mouth.

Raising your head, (e/c) eyes meet with burgundy ones 'I won't lie to you Demetri. The wolves were my family in the past but I have a new family now and they moved on. So should I.'

He raises an eyebrow 'I assume you mean us?'

You nod 'Of course. I know everything that happened was not exactly willing from both sides but in the end of the day, you all have my back and my home is wherever you are Demetri. Not where the Cullens or the Quileute are.' You simply shrug, lowering your head to rest it comfortably against his chest once again.

'And your father? ______, it is absolutely alright to be sad and feel hurt, but I do not believe rushing to leave will solve things. You have to face them and I will be here to face them with you.' he simply declares.

Taking his words into consideration, you remain silent for a bit. Your thoughts once again stray to the smiling man that had been with you for all your life, giving his best into raising you healthy and sound in an environment that aided you to become the best of what you could possibly be, nurtured and provided with lots and lots of love. These were years you couldn't simply erase due to those letters and yet, the small pang in your heart was still there to nag at you and make all those beautiful memories crash and burn right in front of you. How could he keep something like that a secret from you? And why was your mother's death so tragic? Who was chasing after her and for what purpose? What happened to her? Why didn't your father investigate further?

Alas, these were questions to be answered in time. You'd get to the bottom of this and find out the truth, even if you have to go to great lengths to achieve that.

'My father...' you try but your voice chokes a bit, causing Demetri to tighten his hold around you in an attempt to comfort you 'Is still my father in the end of the day. If it wasn't for him I'd be thrown into an orphanage or worse, dead. I don't care if genetically we're strangers; it's the people that raise and care for us that are family, not the genes.'

The man nods 'I will have to agree. Though, it is not the time to go back just yet. It will do you good to stay here a little longer mio amore, just until the wedding at least.' He simply shrugs.

'You think so?'

'I do, even if to simply put a close to everything. We can always come back here whenever you want; the house is ours.' He kisses your hair.

You roll your eyes 'Of course. We're not even that long together and you're already bossing me around, Casanova.' You joke and it is obvious in the hue of your voice.

In your small declaration, he chuckles 'And here I was wondering when your bitterness was going to kick in.'

'Shut up. You love my bitterness.' You laugh as well.

'I do actually. Despite the troubles it gives me along with your stubbornness.' He admits with a solemn nod of his head and gently wrapping your chin with his fingers, he tilts your head up and kisses you softly.

Your eyes close and your senses are drowned in his presence, until a dying whale sound erupts from your stomach. Freezing on the spot, your eyes open only to find Demetri's devious ones gazing at you clearly amused and a hot wave of embarrassment rushes through your face.

'He-he....oups.' you chuckle awkwardly but your attempts to lean further away are stopped by a metal grip.

He grins 'Maybe it's time to stop being lazy and rush to the store. The fridge is low on food and knowing you, you'll either eat me or the house.' He laughs, red eyes filling with mirth 'Now that I think about it, eating me doesn't sound that bad.'

If you thought your blush was prominent before, now your whole face turns in a true lighthouse as you stare at him bewildered, your mouth falling agape. Immediately, you shoot up from the bed and rush to the bathroom, marching towards it like the Hulk and allowing Demetri to lazily gaze at your hips moving.

'Shut up you incubus and get your thoughts out of the fucking gutter. Geez! The fuck will I do with you?!' you grumble, more to yourself than to him.

'Do me most probably.'

'Shut the hell up!' you bang the door behind you, fully able to still hear his booming laugh reverberating on the silent house; sheesh, you gave him an inch and he took a whole freaking mile.

Pushing everything from your mind, you turn the shower on and adjusting the temperature, you slide in and allow the hot water ease your nerves as much as it can. Grabbing your (fave) bath soap and pouring some on your sponge, you apply it gently on your bruised skin, trying your best not to pain any sensitive spots that would eventually have you doubling over. Inhaling the luxurious aromas, you relax and push away all saddening thoughts; today was going to be a great day you'd spend with Demetri and nothing was going to spoil it. Over your goddamn cold and rotting body. Maybe you should give a call to Felix or Alec and see how these two are holding up back in Voltera; surely, not hearing from them for the whole week you are here was a good sign that everything was going smoothly back home. At least nobody's dead yet. So far, so good.

Once you were dry, you rush to get dressed and meet Demetri downstairs. Your outfit was perfect for the rainy weather of Forks ( ) and you made sure to wear a nice scarf around your neck to hide away the bruises. Seriously, you had to have a talk with Demetri about it, since Bella's wedding was in three weeks and Alice would probably murder you on the spot if she saw you using a scarf. Time was barely enough to heal the already existing ones, imagine if you acquire new! No no, you were too young and pretty to die just yet. So venturing down, you find your man waiting patiently by the door, dressed just as elegantly as ever and car keys at hand as he opened the front door for you with a courteous move.

Luckily for you, the rain had stopped for the time being and the thick blanket of grey clouds hanging by the firmament loosely but steadily gave no indication that the storm would be upon you for at least a few hours. Fresh air coursed through the trees and circled all around you, cooling your skin in an energizing way as you made your way towards the car and got in. The car ride to the huge market nearly gave you a headache and an aneurism, since you chose it as the perfect time to discuss the issue of the bruises with Demetri; needless to say, the flirtation and teasing was non-stop and by the time you reached your destination you were contemplating whether or not Aro would notice if Demetri suddenly gone missing. Red as a tomato and positively fuming, you thought being around other humans would make things better. Ha... ha... hahaha... if only you knew.

At first, when you finally pulled the car to the parking lot, everything seemed normal. Getting out and pouting at him, you eventually gave up after he flashed you a dazzling grin and allowed him to hold your hand tenderly in his own, just like 'normal, human couples do'. You got a cart –which he claimed as his own- and ventured through the market, picking stuff up. Oh dear, merciful God give you strength! If you thought he was somewhat picky before, choosing only the most expensive clothes and places to go, along with the most luxurious boy-toys (i.e the whole freaking Ferrari back in Voltera) the pickiness he exhibited while shopping for groceries was simply out of this world.

He downright refused to let you get –or even get near- anything that was a sugary drink, prepared pizza, white bread/flour, fruit juice, industrial vegetable oil, margarine, pastries, cookies or cake, french fries and chips, junk foods, contained agave nectar, low-fat yogurt, ice-cream, candy bars, processed meat or cheese, and generally anything that was high in sugar, refined oils and vegetable oils. Leaving you with your mouth hanging open like you've gone mad, he chastised you severely about not having any care whatsoever about your health and keeping your body properly nourished, with all the right vitamins it needed to grow and keep diseases at bay. Taking it upon himself to educate you, he listed many, many, many disadvantages unhealthy human food had for the body, openly glaring at you if you managed to slip something in until you hung your head down in defeat and placed the fucking thing back into its place. Instead, your cart was filled with fresh fruit and vegetables, organic products, freshly cut meat of a rich variety, various nuts, seeds or grains, eggs and dairy he double and triple checked and finally, staples like almond and cashew butter, extra virgin olive oil and green tea. The only thing he actually allowed you to buy –after you swore to battle him straight on in the middle of the market- was a good amount of dark chocolate bars. Holy fuck, you never would have guessed he would go all 'mom' on you and for a freaking vampire, he surely knew a whole lot about human food. It was uncanny and no matter the light kisses he tried to bribe you with, you still glared at him like he grew two heads.

'Remind me not to come shopping with you ever again.' You growl at him as you finally exit the market, pulling the cart along with you since only the two of you couldn't possibly carry all those bags. The air has picked up again and a few droplets cascade the skies, reaching down to let you know rain was on her way. Demetri also raised his gaze towards the sky, before quickening his steps just a tiny bit.

He grins at your pout and pecks your cheek lightly, passing his hand on the small of your back and leading you on skillfully as you push the cart 'It was not that bad. Now, you even know a thing or two about healthy eating. For a human you surely lacked knowledge; I wonder how you survived up until now.' He chuckles at your furious glare, burgundy eyes shining with mirth.

'More happily I have to admit. Drowning myself in sugar and fats, being rather happy about it.' you glare as he unlocks the truck of the car with a swift move and rolls his eyes exasperatedly.

He doesn't seem amused in the least 'Don't whine so much ____, I'm only trying to keep you safe and well.' He shoves a few bags in the truck, glaring at you with a scowl.

You sigh in defeat, grabbing a few bags and shoving them inside as well 'Fine. But you're the one cooking tonight Voltudoggie; I won't even go near those things.' You declare and he openly laughs a sound similar to a huge church bell; deep and full.

'Do not know about you, but I want to keep the house for at least a few decades more. Make sure we do.' He teases and you gasp.

'Are you implying I'll burn the house down?!' you almost choke out, mouth hanging open and hands resting on the sides of your waist. Betrayal written on your face.

'I am directly saying it.' he challenges with a smile and fire burning in his eyes.

Your jaw closes shut seriously 'Then you're damn right. I hope you placed an insurance on it.' You admit with a shrug of your shoulders.

'____ is that you?' a familiar voice came from behind the car, interrupting the two of you.

Immediately, your head perked up and you tried to see who it was, but from the spot you were standing it was impossible. So leaving Demetri to take care of the groceries, you walk over, only to see a familiar face smiling brightly at you in front of the car. Billy Black had not changed at all from the last time you'd seen him; if you excluded the deepening of his wrinkles a little bit, his smile remained bright and his eyes filled with light. As always he sat on his wheelchair, only this time he had a small blanket spread across his legs; rushing to his side, you lean down to hug the old man you'd grew up with and your father's best friend, feeling your heart swarm with warmth.

'I'm really sorry about your father little one; though I'm happy to see you back here once again. Alive and well.' He holds your hands in his warm own for a bit, as you give him a small, sad smile. 

'It's okay; I was really sad I wasn't here but there are some things we can't help. How are you? Growing younger by the minute.' You compliment with a smile and he laughs wholeheartedly.

'Same old for the old me. Trying to keep the Tribe in one piece, keeping my son from doing anything stupid and also consoling a very hurt Embry.' He simply shrugs, looking up at you with emotions you couldn't quite discern twirling around in his black eyes.

In response, your jaw tightens with power 'How is he?'

'Out of it, but he'll come around.' The man admits with a sigh 'We learnt some very **troubling **news about you ____. A few in the Tribe –including myself- are very worried and others are... a bit upset.'

You didn't like where this conversation was going; you didn't like it at all and instinctively, the aura around you turns darker and your mind clears out in order to defend itself in every possible way. For a moment, you and Billy are left to gaze at each other; both knowing very well what the other meant, yet waiting for it to be uttered out loud.

'Like what **exactly**?' you demand to know, voice sounding alien by the tone of coldness it acquired and eyes narrowing on the older man.

'Like you bringing here **yet another **bloodsucking leech to feed off our people. Like we didn't have enough already.' A bitter, cold and filled with irony voice that is also vaguely familiar sounds from your left and immediately, cold and harsh eyes fall upon your form in scrutiny.

Pressing your lips in a thin line, you try to keep your voice even 'I'd say _'it's nice to see you_' mister Cook, but I'd be lying.' You bite out and openly glare at the man walking close to you and Billy.

Cook was one of the oldest Tribe council members and one of the main reasons your father came back with headaches after a Council meeting. He was a man of thin built and faint muscles –which were only more diminished and hung due to his age- causing his clothes to sag a little bit around the edges. Yet he stood tall, almost a head taller than you, with sharp blue eyes coming in complete contrast with his wrinkly, russet skin and looked down on everyone and anyone that wasn't an Alpha. Maybe not even then. He and Billy were the last remaining members of the old pack and surely enough he was the one leading the Council. He was headstrong, biased and racist towards anyone other than humans and werewolves of his tribe and now that he was here, only bad things were bound to happen. Instinctively, your mind turns off all alarms of possible danger and you are instantly on high alert, watching him closely as he makes his way next to Billy and glares at you with nothing but malice.

'How **dare **you speak to me in that tone?!' he throws venomously at you, raising his voice, drawing attention from passer-by's 'How **DARE** you, a leech-lover talk to US! You and that other blood-slut should be **ashamed to even look at us!'**

****He doesn't even give a damn that his tone has drawn unwanted attention, passer-by's that can clearly hear the old man halting their steps and curiously look at your direction, making you extremely self-conscious and you swift your weight awkwardly as you openly glare at the man and then at the people staring at you. Heart pounding loudly against your chest, your mouth falls open and anger rushes into your veins as you prepare to retaliate, only to feel everything happen in slow motion.

You feel it before you can see it.

The wind stirs behind you and before you even have the chance to realize it, a cold and careful hand makes its way protectively and possessively around your waist and you are pulled closely to the side of a sturdy chest. Eyes wandering upwards, you meet with clear, alabaster skin, frosted sand-blonde hair and a pair of violet eyes –blue contacts dulling out the luxurious red underneath– that do not look even in the _least_ amused. Demetri is staring head on at the two men before both of you, who only roll their shoulders out and straighten up; Demetri looks calm and there is a small smirk on his beautiful face, alas, you know him better to miss the threatening gleam shifting in his eyes or the power with which his jaw clenches as he regards the Quileute men like they are both the absolute vermin under his shoes.

'I believe common courtesy advises against speaking to a proper lady in that tone or choice of words. Did they not teach you that in the kennel, mutts?' he slyly chuckles, yet you don't miss the way both Cook and Billy twitch.

Cook spits straight into Demetri's shoes; Demetri loses his smirk and his eyes flash. Lungs burn you since you've forgotten to breathe. Billy breaks the silence.

'You're the vampire royalty the Cullens told us about.' He coldly observes, staring straight into Demetri unafraid and never missing the way the vampire's hand is wrapped around you.

Demetri raises an eyebrow 'And you are the shifters trespassing into Cullen territory and causing trouble. How does that portray your pack, other than a gathering of blabbering, highly dangerous mongrels?'

Billy turns to you 'I'm very disappointed in you _____.' He simply says.

'Take your filthy, leech-lover whore and get the fuck away before we burn you both to hell like the soulless monsters you both are!' Cook roars and takes a threatening step towards you, forcing your heartbeat to skyrocket until Demetri takes a protective step right in front of you, getting in the way.

When he speaks, his voice is low and dangerous and you are pretty sure the low growl making his chest vibrate is audible even to the two men standing across. His patience was running thin and you were for the first time too stupefied to do anything; everything was happening so fast, you were thrown off balance.

'I would take it as a threat **if **any of you was actually capable in shifting into a wolf.' Demetri openly mocks, but his tone turns dark 'Speak to her like that one more single time and you will learn exactly what is worse than death. Interesting way of treating your own; then you call us soulless demons.' He spits to their faces, voice controlled and icy.

As he says that, Cook breaks out into hysterical laughter. Tears roll off his eyes and he mockingly wipes them away before straightening himself again and spitting on your feet this time.

'One of us? One of **us?** That little slut is not a Quileute; if she was, we'd **hang **her for whoring around with leech spawns of Satan himself.' This time you have to actually grab Demetri by the hand to keep him from slashing the man's neck in the middle of the parking lot and Billy tries to stop Cook, his protests falling on deaf ears. Instead, the man only continues on.

'This little half-bred bitch is lucky her father died before he'd the chance to see her or he'd have dropped dead on the spot. Seeing his daughter shamelessly fucking around with any vampire she can get between her legs, shaming her father's name and becoming a fuck-toy for blood-sucking leeches, he would **beg our wolves **to tear her apart limb by limb.' He spits angrily and then laughs 'But now that I think of it, he raised her so he can't be any better than that! Keeping the pack w**eak, **siding with the **vampires, **he's lucky he's dead, turning into worm food and actually being useful for once in his fucking pathetic life or I'd personally mak-'

'Stop breathing.' (a/n: if you get **this **reference, ilu)

Cook was able to breathe one second and the next one he wasn't. His lungs tried their best to inhale the all-too-needed air and oxygen to keep his body going but the air was nowhere to be found from all around him, denying him the sweet gift of life. Blue eyes opened wide with surprise and his hand flew to wrap around his neck as he leaned forward a bit, coughing loudly and further shortening his oxygen. No sound escaped him though; panicked, he turned his eyes to you, mouth hanging open in a comical way, only to find you staring back at him with a cold and merciless expression. Eyes dull, heartbeat even, mind clear; in total control as you used your powers to suffocate him on the very spot he stood. Billy turned to you horrified and a merciless laugh escaped Demetri. Yet your eyes were only focused dully on the choking man.

'You can insult me all you want, but say a **single word about my father and _I'll have your head on a silver fucking plate,' _**you simply inform him and he struggled to say something inaudible as his skin started turning blue.

'You pollute too much needed air. I should kill you, but my dad taught me to have mercy, even for delusional old geezers.' You say and ignore the feeling of moisture dripping down from your nose as you tighten your grip on the air even more, further choking him 'So listen well because I'll say this **one fucking time: _either you or any other come near me or my loved ones and I'll turn you into a nice coat for my Masters back in Voltera. Or Demetri; he likes the jackets I pick for him. I've killed so many vampires that I surpass all the vampires you mutts or your ancestor mutts have killed and I have zero respect about souls anymore. I will slaughter you all. Bad mouth my father and I'll guarantee you the last thing you'll ever see is your heart beating in my hand. _**I hope you are capable of understanding as a simple thing as this.' You say and release the air, making the man inhale sharply and cough loudly, falling on his knees before you.

'_______' Billy says, but Demetri grabs a hold of your chin and turns you towards him.

Dull (e/c) eyes connect –to your utter surprise- with suddenly worried violet ones and the man places a small cloth under your nose. A quizzical eyebrow raises but the man sighs, obviously worried.

'You are bleeding mio amore.' He says 'No more powers for today. Let's go home.' He gently chastises you and pulls you into a hug.

Both of you turn to leave, but Demetri halts; reaching for his eyes, he removes his contacts before turning to the two Quileute still trying to compose themselves and growls lowly at them. Red eyes flash and his fangs are threatenly visible.

'Prowl around her one more time spreading your poison and I will **cut off** your tongues.'


	39. Demetri X Reader: AU!Rock-Singers!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I had this idea to make just a bunch of AU!s for all of you darlings and this story now that we're finally on the last arc, so here are 18.500 words for a single one-shot I could not stop writing and writing. The characters are the same, just their relationships change most of the time and I tweak just a few of them to help me out with the plot XD Next chapter is going to be the normal story and if you read to the end of this chapter, you can vote which is the next one-shot you wanna see. All songs in this chapter belong to their rightful owners. Enjoy!

‘Jesus fucking Christ superstar!!!’

It was four in the fucking morning. Four o’ clock and you were turning and tossing restlessly on your bed, swearing every known and unknown to humankind swear you could actually muster. Truly, it was a terrifying spectacle to see, but your tiny apartment was utterly bereft of any other form of life other than yourself, tucked carefully under a thick layer of blankets and angrily glaring at the wall on your left as if you were able to pierce it with sheer determination alone. Alas, silence was nowhere to be found and the creaking and banging sounds of a bed coming in hard contact with the wall dividing you from your neighbor was enough to drive you crazy. Lustful and high-pitched moans of a girl _thoroughly _enjoying herself echoed in a cacophony of what you thought was screeches –like nails against a chalkboard.

At first you thought it was a pterodactyl or something.

But ooooooh no…

‘That’s it!’

With your patience finally reaching a breaking point and going far beyond it so much you couldn’t even see it in the distant horizon, you toss your blankets with power, dropping your feet to the side and rising on them with a deep exhale. Cold pierces you and you swear loudly as you walk over to the wall shivering and start banging at it with all your might; fist clenched and paining you a bit as you catapulted it against the sturdy surface again and again as hard as you could.

‘It’s four in the fucking MORNING!!! MAKE the dying cow SHUT UP already and stop trying to pierce a hole through the FUCKING wall!!!’ you scream with all your might and thankfully enough, the noises stop instantly.

It wasn’t that you were used to make complaints to the neighbors. Living in a huge apartment building that was a bit not well kept, you knew you were in for some noise and paper-thin walls but nothing had ever prepared you for what you’d actually encounter. So, your words were greeted by silence, a small chuckle barely audible and a cheering sound from the above floor. Thankfully for you and whatever was left from your sleep, the noises stopped and silence once again prevailed. Sighing to yourself, you walk back to your bed and unceremoniously fall on it, tucking yourself in and closing your eyes contently, allowing the much-too-needed sleep to take you away into dreamland after such a long time; pulling you off into a deep sleep filled with lustful moans and beautiful men. Not too bad right?

The rays of light coming through the wide window of your room were enough to wake you up gently, roughly around twelve o’ clock. It was yet another rainy morning in Seattle and the silver light filtering inside was enough to give your small apartment a feeling of coziness and melancholy for the approaching winter. Tossing and turning lazily on your bed, you stretch your limbs like a cat and hear them pop, before their sound is followed by a soft Italian song breaking the silence. Rolling your eyes, you grumble loudly; it’s not that the song is awful but goddammit can’t a girl have some silence around here?

It had been just four months since you rented this small apartment and to say you simply wanted to disappear away from the world would be the understatement of the century. It was but a year since you moved out of La Push with your boyfriend Paul and four months since you guys broke everything off; instead of the normal, cozy and happy life you always dreamed of, completely free from your hometown and the prejudice it had in store, you thought that living somewhere far away with the one you truly love would be paradise on earth. Only for the paradise to crumble to dust right before you; now, you lived all alone and in secret in this almost rundown apartment complex, making it through the month with whatever money you managed to raise from your job as a singer in a small club just a few blocks away from here. It wasn’t much; it didn’t provide you with high-quality steaks or 24 hour warmth from the radiators, but god damn it, it was as close as you’d get to being truly free. Going back to La Push was out of the freaking question and moving away was something needing lots of money. Not that your parents wouldn’t give you if you asked them to; alas, it would only lead to the revelation of a few information you guarded with your life.

Lazily rubbing your eyes, it was actually time to stop being lazy gurl and get that ass moving! Today was a big day after all and you had work to do! Getting up, the wooden floor creaks under your socks as you drag your corpse towards the kitchen to get that breakfast up and running, turning the heat on as you pass by the radiators. It was good to have two days for yourself this past week since the strange timetables with the club had literally thrown your body off balance; turning day into night, it was weird to wake up and see the sun already setting among the tall buildings surrounding yours. But, one of the lead guitarists had left and the manager decided to close up the club for two days in order to find someone to fill the position but also good enough in singing to sing along with you as a lead singer himself; it wasn’t really something you marveled upon too much, since if you lose your job you might as well throw yourself out your window –seven floors would definitely make the cut for you and you’d end up like a broken egg on the sidewalk.

Now that we mentioned it, how about egg baskets for breakfast? Sounds good?

Yawning widely, you grab two eggs and pop two slices of bread inside the toaster. Truth be told, the manager was kind enough to know what you were going through, so being fired was absolutely impossible. Jasper was a good man and a manager, helping you tremendously when he found you sleeping out of the club’s backdoor four months ago. It was him that found you the apartment and hired you and was genuinely sad he couldn’t give you the raise you so much needed. The club was small, the people were enough but the taxes had gone up, he was struggling to support his wife Alice and their little daughter. So yeah, your job would always be there and who knows? Maybe the new addition will bring more people to the yard.

Pop! There goes your toasted bread. Grabbing a plate, you rest the fried eggs on the slices and sit down on your armchair, turning the TV on and munching on your breakfast. The apartment was rather small and not decorated too much, yet you still loved it; the kitchen and the living room were in the same space, decorated with the basic IKEA that after being used for more than time itself, had started to fall apart a bit, like the sofa that stood on four bricks and the washing machine that produced small earthquakes every time you used it. Still, the wall across the front door was a huge floor-to-ceiling window that had the best view over the street and the small park on the right; it brought plenty of light inside and at times, you’d just sit on the armchair and enjoy looking at the serene sky. At least while looking at it, you realized there were still parts of this hectic world that were ever-changing but serene all at the same time. One day, you hoped that would be the case for you as well.

Finishing up, you look at the clock and decide to take a shower before preparing for work; looking through your favorite programs, time flew past you faster than you’d like to admit and today you’d have to clock in early. So swearing a little bit to yourself, you make a bee line to the small bathroom in your bedroom, already trying to decide what to wear tonight; you better look like a boss-ass, drop-dead gorgeous bitch and you knew just the right clothes to choose for the occasion. You’ll look fabulouuuuuus! Stripping down from your pajamas, you rejoice at the silence prevailing all around you; no more Italian songs or anything but a few sounds betraying someone was moving in the apartment next to you and you thanked our Lord and Saviour Freddie Mercury for that.

Turning the shower on, you step inside and allow the lava-hot water to relax your aching muscles; someone moved from the other side of the wall and dropped something. Ignore them, this is time to relax and unwind, so you close your eyes gingerly and allow the water to cascade your eyelids; taking away all of your unnecessary thoughts and worries, allowing you to inhale deeply enough to regenerate and calm your very soul down. Warm water in cold weather was and always will be the best remedy for an aching soul.

‘…_Right from the start you were a thief, you stole my heart, and I your willing victim~… I let you see the parts of me that weren't all that pretty, and with every touch you fixed them…~ Now you've been talking in your sleep! Oh, oh! Things you never say to me! Oh, oh! Tell me that you've had enough~…Of our love, our love..’_

Your melodious voice filled the small space, reverberating pleasantly on the foggy walls and wearily, your soul started expressing herself and releasing all the pent up emotions; it was your kind of psychotherapy and honestly, it helped. Especially when dead-like silence prevailed and no sounds interrupted you…

_‘Just give me a reason, just a little bit's enough. Just a second - we're not broken, just bent and we can learn to love again! It's in the stars; it's been written in the scars on our hearts: We're not broken, just bent and we can learn to love again~!’_

Gently massaging your hair, you move your hips to the lyrics and open your mouth t-

**—_I'm sorry I don't understand where all of this is coming from; I thought that we were fine! ~Oh we had everything~ Your head is running wild again; my dear we still have everything! And it's all in your mind!—_**

From all the things you ever imagined to happen, being sung to from the other side of the wall was definitely not what you pictured. Yet the masculine, deep and velvety voice coming off through the walls was definitely not yours and –if you were allowed to note- really pleasant to listen to. He sang the lyrics with a tone that made a shiver travel down your spine, which had nothing to do with the water or your nudity. Is this Tumblr? No, Disney?! You eyed the wall next to you like it was about to explode.

_ **—Now you've been having real bad dreams~ Oh, oh! You used to lie so close to me! Oh, oh! There's nothing more than empty sheets… Between our love, our love….Oh, our love, our love, love!—**_

Without controlling it, you chuckle; he did have quite a pleasant voice and you’ll be damned not to rock this shit.

_~Just **give** me **a** reason; **just** a **little** bit’s **enough**…Just **a** second - **we’re** not **broken**, just **bent**!__ And **we** can **learn** to **love** again__!__~ _you sing along with him, smiling at the wall like a goof.

**_—_****_I’ve never stopped; you’re still written in the scars on my heart…— _**he’s actually rocking it, daymn son!

You laugh, swinging your hips and smiling, continuing your shower.

** _~_ ** ** _You’re_ ** _ not _ ** _broken_ ** _, just _ ** _bent_ ** _, and _ ** _we_ ** _ can _ ** _learn_ ** _ to _ ** _love_ ** _ again!~_

With everything both of you had, you continue, singing loudly and happily. It hadn’t felt so good, it hadn’t felt so serene and happy in a long while around here.

‘_Oh, tears ducts and rust!__’_

_—_**_I'll fix it for us!—_**

_‘_ _We're collecting dust but our love's enough~!’_

_—_ ** _You're holding it in!—_ **

_‘_ _You're pouring a drink~!’_

** _—No nothing is as bad as it seems….—_ **

_‘We'll come clean~!’_

By now, you are full out dancing inside your shower, splashing water everywhere but giving not even a single shit as you smile your sorrows away and enjoy this weird but amazing moment to the fullest. Without controlling it, you wonder if the neighbor is enjoying it just as much as you do. Secretly, you wish him to…

~ **_Just_**_ give **me** a **reason**, just **a** little **bit's** enough! **Just** a **second** we're **not** broken **just** bent **and** we **can** learn **to** love **again**!! It's **in** the **stars**; it's **been** written **in** the **scars** on **our** hearts, **that** we're **not** broken **just** bent **and** we **can** learn **to** love **again**!!!~_

Stepping out of the shower, you open your hands grandly, as if you’re singing to a large crowd or you’re in one of those movies where soulmates sing animatedly to one another, smiling like goofs and deciding they wanted to be with one another. If only you had that kind of love in your life.

~ **_Just_**_ give **me** a **reason**, just **a** little **bit's** enough! **Just** a **second** we're **not** broken **just** bent **and** we **can** learn **to** love **again**!! It's **in** the **stars**; it's **been** written **in** the **scars** on **our** hearts, **that** we're **not** broken **just** bent **and** we **can** learn **to** love **again**!!!~_

As you finish your duet, cheering sounds come from the apartment above you and you laugh wholeheartedly before wrapping a cozy towel around yourself and one around your hair. Enough lazing around and living a full-out Disney scene, it’s time for work. Turning on a few songs on your phone, you rest it on the side and begin the freaking transformation of your Ork self to an elfish princess! Just kidding; you already look gorgeous!.... if you considered ghosts in-fashion… oh well, we are all beautiful to someone’s eyes out there!

Pulling your drawers out, you search furiously through them –throwing clothes here and there above your head– until you come across the clothes you had in mind and throw them on the bed with little to no care. Letting the towel drop from around you, you pick your most favorite panties and a matching bra, laced with black lace in a beautiful pattern. Drying your hair out, you proceed to curl them loosely and allow them to fall gracefully around your face, matching with your (e/c) orbs; in the past they were so vibrant –your mother never failed to mention how much she loved your eyes– but now they were a dull (e/c) surrounded with such dark circles it looked like someone had punched you in the freaking face. Praise Lord Dracula for make-up then! With a little bit of concealer here, a bit of powder there, mascara and your (f/c) lipstick a healthier looking version of yourself appeared, just in time to get dressed.

Checking yourself in the mirror to see any flaws in your [attire](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/d5/3b/66/d53b66b34dc9244748b091e21dce9558.jpg), you make sure you have two small bottles of your specially-made herbal tea in your bag as you pull your jacket on, exiting the apartment and locking the door safely behind you.

Nighttime in Seattle came rather early when winter was just around the corner. It seemed like the sun rushed to dip further and further down into the distant horizon, allowing the tall buildings to drown away what was left from the faint sunlight and the warmth, enveloping the streets still busy with life and voices into an eerie mid-light. Making your way through the crowd was not as tough as it was the first time around; large crowds were not really your thing –what an irony for someone working as a singer right?– and where you grew up too many people usually wasn’t that common. So it was safe to say it was overwhelming at first, yet now, after all this time, being inside the huge crowd moving as a single being towards this direction or the other felt like you belonged somewhere. Nobody could really get you out in the open with all those scrutinizing eyes and warm smiles directed towards any possible direction; you were safe here, your heart was calm and it beat steadily inside your chest as you watched mothers playing with their children or couples holding hands against the chilling cold.

Every building and small store was brightly lit and doused the streets in their light, which reflected on the thick clouds gathering above your heads; it was a rare sight to catch a glimpse of the stars around here and you discovered that you greatly missed it. Instead, the sky appeared ready for a good amount of snow, not so strange if you considered these were the last days of September. Inhaling deeply, you feel the freezing air reach all the way down to the depths of your body; quickly, you tighten the grip on your coat and quicken your step, passing by the small park and venturing further into the busy streets. Today you’re going earlier to work because Jasper wanted you to practice a little bit with the newcomer, just to see if your voices matched and so on. He said you’d sing most of the songs along with him –sharing the verses- if they weren’t duets and may God help him, he promised you’re going to sing the first verse no matter what. Well you better, because the newbie won’t stand a chance in keeping his job otherwise.

Finally seeing the club come up in the distance, you rush to get inside the warm interior your heels clicking against the pavement with every step you took.

It was a rather spacious place; one large unified space that could host between 40-50 people with the bar right across the door, next to the door leading to the back rooms, and on the right wall from where you stood, your small stage stood already decorated with drums, guitars, bass and two microphones shining under the dim lights. In packed nights, you swore it reached 100 people in here squeezed so closely with one another they reminded you of sardines. Floor and ceiling were painted in a simple matte black while the four walls were covered with posters and drawings of great rock stars. For now, the place was relatively empty and only Sam, the bartender, and his girlfriend Leah was here chatting away among themselves.

‘Do I need to get the bucket to mop up the syrup and honey from the floor?’ you roll your eyes exasperatedly ‘Mayday, slip hazard right ahead!’

Leah’s head turns abruptly and she gawks at you ‘Bitch, I’m gonna slap you.’

‘Oh yeah~ spank me Leah, spank me!’ you chuckle as she flushes an even darker shade than her normal russet color, both furious and amazed, while Sam laughs wholeheartedly behind her.

‘Nice you see you all flirty again ______. Should we prepare for the Armageddon?’ he chuckles as you walk over to them and give a big bear hug to Leah, who only slaps your shoulder playfully in retaliation.

‘You better be, since we’re having a new singer tonight. My very own Jasper is cheating on me with a guy! Knew it deep down this day was coming.’ You shake your head solemnly and smile as Sam hands you your favorite shot –a bit of cinnamon and vanilla liqueur mixed with Kahlua– which you down immediately.

‘Heard his pretty good though; he’s Italian but moved here a few years back, all alone for his studies. How cool right? Plus, you’ve seen him? Once you do, the splashing sound on the floor’ll be your panties.’ Leah winks deviously and both of you laugh, much to Sam’s irritation.

‘Was he now? Better remember that tonight Leah.’ Sam warns and by the way he wipes the counter with the towel, it’s like looking at his life-long arc nemesis, despite still smiling… a smile that scared you honestly.

‘Oh baby, you know you’re the only one for muah!’ she sends him a devious kiss.

‘Plus with my mood so far, I’m not sure seeing him would make my panties capable of hydrating California. So chill.’ You simply shrug and releasing yourself from Leah’s hug, you remove your jacket ‘We expect many dudes tonight?’

Leah shrugs and grabs the second shot Sam made for you, downing it and forcing Sam to make another one from scratch ‘Well, Jasper was pretty good in advertizing, so we hope so.’

‘Good. Then I better pull this band-aid in one go.’ You down the new shot, feeling the murderous sweetness energize every fiber of your existence ‘Let’s do this shit.’

With your bag and jacket in hand, you leave those goofs to make out a little bit more before the club opened for tonight and storm towards the back rooms like a bull seeing a red flag. Honestly, you were hoping for the best with the new guy; you didn’t care if he was pretty, panty-dropping, gorgeous model or some shit, you only cared about giving people a great show they’d enjoy and look forward into seeing again. Sighing deeply once you hang up your stuff and grab your herbal tea, you hear Jasper calling you from his office; for a nightclub, it surely had thin walls in here. Fishing your favorite aroma out of your bag, you spray a little bit on your neck before flipping your hair to ruffle them up and exhale in determination.

‘Coming Jasp.’ You say and prepare yourself for the worst case scenario. Please let it not be a douche. Or a crack-head. Dear God, not a pretentious prick.

With wishes filling your head, you unceremoniously open the door wide, absentmindedly greeting Jasper and Alice; immediately you freeze right where you’re standing. Muscles freeze right in the spot; mind goes out like the flame of a candle. For a moment you don’t know what the fuck is happening, who you are, who are they and where the fuck you are. Alice and Jasper stare at you like you’re having an aneurism right before their eyes, then look among themselves to reassure one another they didn’t have to call an ambulance. Well who the freaking hell cares about them, you only have eyes for a single person inside the room and it’s neither of them. No, you don’t even register their existences as you gaze upon the second man standing a few meters away from you, flashing a dazzling smile that could charm the pants off Mother Mary herself. Absentmindedly, something in the back of your head commands you to press your lips together in a thin line to stop yourself from actually drooling.

Let’s get things one at a time shall we?

Well, the man you’re currently looking at like Jesus Christ has finally decided to make his Second Coming was wearing an amazing pair of ripped, black jeans, a tight white t-shirt with a Guns-And-Roses logo matched with a leather sleeveless jacket and a grey beanie that complimented his hair. His eyes were in the deepest shade of blue you had ever set your eyes upon, reminding you of the deep-swirling sea looked upon from the seafloor; you only saw something like that when surfing and you went under. If you had to describe him further, you’d say he looked like one of those summer dreams you see when you’re at the beach, feeling the air course through your hair warmly, white sand kissing your skin under your palms and the sun setting in the horizon painting the sky with vivid and so vibrant colors that bring you to tears.

What where you saying about California before? Wait! Was that dropping sound your panties?

As soon as he looks at you, his smile widens dazzlingly, making his eyes lighten up.

‘______, this is Demetri. You’ll be singing together from now on.’ Jasper’s voice informs you from somewhere in the back, but all you could really see right now was Demetri standing up in his full height and offering you his hand in a firm handshake. Man was he taller than you. And young. Probably around 25, a year older than you…

‘Really nice to finally meet you _____. Jasper told me a lot about you; kept away how gorgeous you are though.’ He says and his voice is as smooth and velvety as a sip of hot chocolate on a snowy day.

In response, you only stare more, unmoving.

_The fuck you doin’? Give him your hand, act like a civilized person, not like a baboon!! Raise your hand! Smile! MOVE! MOVE! MOVE BITCH MOVE!_

Miraculously, to your inner relief, you shake his hand and pull yourself violently out of your stupor ‘I…um, I’m _____. Whatever Jasper told you is a lie.’ You attempt a joke. It comes out bad in your ears but Demetri laughs. Oh thank God.

‘My hands are clean; you’re going to scare him away yourself anyway.’ Jasper motions you both to sit and you do, trying desperately to place yourself in an order. Dear God woman, pull yourself together, you’re not 13 anymore!

‘Die will you?’

‘So, Demetri, the paycheck is exactly as we discussed and dear _____ here will help you get used to things around the club. Now, does everyone remember the rules both for the singing and for the club?’ Jasper smiles a deceptively sweet smile ‘_____, you’ll do the honors.’

Rolling your eyes, you feel yourself come back to your senses finally, whatever spell was on you breaking as you remember than no matter how jaw-dropping Demetri is, you’re the one who’s gotta deal with him unfortunately so inhaling a deep breath, you nod ‘Singing rules: if the song is not a duet, we both take turns in singing the verses –with me always singing first- and the main chorus is sung together. No fights, no buts, no what-if’s, this isn’t kindergarten.’ You death-glare Jasper ‘As for the club: no drugs, no fights, no shady businesses, no hooking up with the customers, always be polite, don’t get too drunk, come in on time, don’t skip without a good reason and don’t breathe too loudly.’ You pass a hand through your hair as Jasper nods.

‘I expect from both of you to cooperate; we’re expecting many people tonight and things’ll get tight. Get along.’ The last thing is solely directed to you and you flip him off.

‘Of course we will.’ Demetri smiles a dazzling smile and for a few seconds, the thought it sounds a bit two-sided crosses your mind.

Alas, you were give zero time to actually think through what was happening since after your small chat, Jasper pretty much dragged you both back to the main area in order to see if your voices actually combine as good as he thought and what a great way to test it other than to sing a song yourselves. Time had actually gone by pretty quickly and now you were counting backwards for the club to open in about an hour time. The rest of the staff had already gathered around while Jasper had you under his scrutinizing glare daring you to object or say anything he wouldn’t like, so by the time you return to the bar, Rosalie –the second waitress- was already there, along with Emmett and Jared the two bouncers and Edward and Alec, who played the bass and the drums respectively.

‘TACKLING AT ELEVEN O’ CLOCK!’

It was no surprise for Alec to actually jump on you the moment he saw you there, so the tackling part or the fact he picked you up and span you around like a doll was not a surprise either. Alec was the youngest in here and his childish and jovial personality had made everyone love him in no time and you were no exception; though the feelings were mutual here and both of you treated one another like siblings. You’d helped him through a tough time with his constant bullying and bad situation at home and in return he was always there to offer to listen to your troubles; he, Jasper and Sam with Leah were the only ones who truly knew what had happened to you four months ago. As Alec span you around, you high-fived Edward who had already taken up his position on the stage and laughed at the goofy duo, before pointing to Demetri where his spot was and all the rest of the jazz.

‘Alec we don’t have all day!’ Jasper paused ‘Night. Whatever, get my lead singer down and let’s get on with it before I grow old.’

‘But you’re already a grandpa Jasp!’ Alec laughs as the other male death-glares him, but he gingerly places you back on your feet. Demetri gives you a side glance which utterly puts you on edge. What now?

‘Remember that when the next paycheck is due.’ Jasper yells as you playfully mess Alec’s dark hair ‘Now, _____ and Demetri, I want you to imagine it’s just the two of you here; don’t mind us. Sing whatever you like.’

Turning towards Demetri, you place your offer ‘Up for some Muse? Or something else?’

He smiles seductively, facing you as well ‘Muse is fine; as long as you like it.’ he winks deviously and your cheeks blaze up, so you quickly try to hide it away from his watchful eyes by turning to Edward and nodding wordlessly for him to start the tune.

The man nods and with a fluid twist of his wrist, the bass emits an all too familiar tune, soon followed by the drums; tapping your foot to the melody you focus solely on the lyrics and the man right across from you, who’s mirroring you and looking so deeply into your eyes you’re sure he’s looking straight into your very soul. Uncomfortably, you fiddle in your spot.

_‘__I know you've suffered but I don't want you to hide…~’_

**‘****It's cold and loveless; I won't let you be denied…**’ his voice sounds so velvety and soothing, your muscles involuntarily relax and your breathing evens.

**‘**_Soothing……I'll make you feel pure!’ _you gently sway in the tune.

**_‘Trust me……You can be sure!’ _**his voice sounds strangely familiar; causing your brows to furrow, alas you can’t place it quite right. Heard it somewhere for sure, but where?

** _ ‘_ ** _I **want** to **reconcile** the **violence** in **your** heart…~ **I** want **to** recognize **your** beauty's **not** just **a** mask….! **I** want **to** exorcise **the** demons **from** your **past**; I **want** to **satisfy** the **undisclosed** desires **in** your **heart**~!’_

It finally clicks; the voice, the familiarity, it all becomes a small dot inside your mind and it explodes into a kaleidoscope of realization that flashes across your face; your eyes widen and your jaw drops. For a single moment you remain completely silent, forgetting you are in the middle of a song and glaring at the man across from you like he’s Lucifer himself; well scratch that, he actually might be with all his unnatural beauty, the sly smiles and laid-back aura. Silence prevails as the others stop playing and Demetri gives you a curious look.

‘You’re the Tumblr shower guy!’ you exclaim bewildered, pointing an accusing finger towards him.

At first his eyebrows furrow in confusion, but a moment later the same realization flashes behind his eyes ‘You’re the cow-girl!’ he exclaims back, though he lacks the animosity and he seems genuinely amused beyond himself; it only fuels your anger even more and you feel your blood boiling inside your veins.

‘Well I wouldn’t be if your chick didn’t sound like somebody was murdering her in cold blood! People have to fucking sleep you know!’ you bark at him.

He raises his hands in surrender but has the audacity to wink at you ‘What can I say? She couldn’t contain herself. Maybe you should try me out sometime.’

‘If I want to get myself bored to death, I’ll give you a call.’ You throw at him, folding your hands over your chest.

‘I’ll be waiting~.’ He winks and you swear out loud.

‘I ain’t getting close; who knows what’s going on in there!’ you circle your finger at his general direction.

‘I don’t bite, mio amore... Unless if you’re into that stuff.‘ he shrugs and deviously grins and by the burning sensation across your face, you’re probably burning from the inside out, flashing a deep red that could rival your lipstick.

‘FUCK Y-‘

‘GOOOOOOD MORNING SEATTLE IT’S YOUR GUY SHUT-THE-FUCK-UP!’ a booming voice interrupts the rich string of swears you’re about to unleash towards the infuriatingly smug Italian-douchebag right across from you, drawing everybody’s attention to the left, where a very pissed-beyond-himself Jasper had shot up from his chair and looked ready to smack you both down Mortal Combat style. His brown eyes are blazing as they turn from you to Demetri and the aura of anger emits from him in steady waves. You’ve gone too far this time; regretfully, you avert your gaze to the side.

Jasper though, is nowhere even near done with both of you ‘I literally have zero fucks to give about who is fucking who, who is bothered by the loud sounds, or the freaking fuck suggestions that bounce between you. So SHUT THE FUCK UP AND GET THE DAMN JOB DONE BECAUSE I’VE HAD IT UP TO HERE TODAY AND EITHER BOTH OF YOU COOPERATE AND GET THIS SHIT DONE, OR GET THE HELL OUT OF MY PROPERTY BEFORE I SHOVE MY FOOT UP YOUR ASSES SO FUCKING HARD, YOU’LL PICK MY TOES FROM BETWEEN YOUR TEETH!

Silence greets his words and it’s so thick, you’re practically sure everybody’s holding their breaths by now.

‘Am I clear?’ Jasper calmly says, flopping back at his chair and staring at the both of you so calmly, it’s unnerving; if he snaps you better run for the freaking hills. You’d seen it once and dear merciful Lord, you didn’t want to see it again.

‘Crystal.’ Demetri’s voice sounds sincere and serious, as the man squares his shoulders and looks at his boss in the eye; his whole aura had turned from foolish and teasing to serious and calm in a matter of seconds and secretly, you marveled at how professional and in control of the situation he appeared.

Nodding sheepishly, you feel utterly foolish and a dick to let your emotions sway you like this; honestly you hated bringing your problems to your job and also, c’mon dude, yes Demetri was loud one night with his girlfriend but you were being a straight up douchebag to him for it. Cursing your lack of sleep and high irritability, you just shut your mouth for the rest of the night and inwardly regret all of your life choices.

After your little ‘display’ of immaturity, Jasper had you finish up the song and afterwards all of the staff was pretty occupied with the chores needing to be done before the club opened; Demetri helped out quite much if you were allowed to say and even if every time you were close to him you could feel your heartbeat accelerating while shivers traveled down your spine, you welcomed his help. He was quite observant and quick to react even if he didn’t work as a singer ever before in his life, helping out with tuning Edward’s bass and actually preparing his own guitar for the show. When you’re sure he wasn’t looking, you spared a few glances his way, feeling something inside of you stir; he was surely drop-dead handsome and even if you didn’t want to admit it, his flirtation attempts towards you didn’t go unnoticed. You’d be stupid if they did. Alas, you didn’t want to get involved.

So you occupied yourself with the chores and when that was done, you pleaded with Sam to make you more shots; downing them like water, you allowed the sugary alcohol to mellow down your nerves and prepare you for the night as the first customers rolled in. Before you walked off onto the stage though, you made sure to hand Demetri one of your special herbal tea bottles; they were perfect for warming up the voice and to avoid hurting the vocal cords, he’d have to drink it throughout the entirety of the show. Weather was getting cold and rock was not too kind to the vocal cords; it’d be a shame for his career as a singer to stop before it even starts. He thanked you seriously, giving you a small sincere smile you found yourself returning. Maybe things wouldn’t be so bad after all.

To say the customers today were more energized and ready to go would be an understatement like proclaiming ‘water is wet’ or ‘the sun is hot’. As the night went on and on, you found yourself singing with everything you got and feeling your energy rolling off from you like peeling off the warm blankets on a cold morning. Draining, absolutely draining, so when the time to call it quits came, you could only drag your corpse to the small alleyway in the back of the club and plop yourself unceremoniously down on the concrete; your legs were screaming bloody murder to you, your head was spinning and god damn it you felt the smoke resting on your (s/c) like disgusting dirt. Exhaling a deep breath, your head leans back and closing your eyes you revel at the serenity silence provided this early in the morning.

A door opened and closed, yet you kept your eyes closed and breathing even, until someone sat down beside you with a small ‘thud’. Warmth resonated from him in steady waves and if that was ever possible, the aroma of honey reached your nose; it was a sweet and calming fragrance, tangling with the warmth to make you feel like you were under the bright, warm sun and not the back of some random cold alleyway.

‘Tough night wasn’t it?’ Demetri chuckled beside you and in its sound, your eyes popped open, searching for the attractive male in utter bewilderment.

He was smiling seductively back at you, causing yet another warm shiver travel down your guts and stir up thoughts you promptly shoved back down into your unconscious, but his eyes were a bit droopy while his skin seemed worryingly paler than normal ‘What the hell happened to your voice?!’ you blurt out instantly, anger bubbling inside your veins; his voice sounded nothing like the alluring sound it once was and instead, it was hoarse, strained and you’re sure it pained him to come out. Which only meant…

Demetri shrugs looking across from the both of you, oblivious to the anger blooming in your voice; or at least it seemed so ‘Just a bit tir-‘

‘Don’t you screw with me Demetri!’ you cut him off sternly ‘You didn’t drink from the tea I handed you- No! Don’t try to speak even if you want to, you’ll only hurt yourself!’ you rush to say as the man opens his mouth then promptly closes it shut, his eyebrows furrowing over his eyes in dismay.

Sighing, you pass a hand through your (h/c) locks, cursing to yourself ‘Look, I know I was a major bitch before, but I wasn’t going to poison you with the tea! It was only going to protect your voice from getting like this and hurting you like a fucking dumbass.’ You rush out in one breath, sincerely looking deep into his blue eyes; it was the only way to convey to him your true intentions and truly enough, the now silent male stops dead on his tracks, looking upon your face with an unfathomable expression you were too tired to decipher.

Sighing deeply, you get on your own two feet and stare down at the silent male who follows your every move, making you feel a bit self conscious but you try your best to push it down and appear relaxed; resting your hands on your waist, you look down at him steadily ‘I’m guessing there’s no more things to do around here right? And since we live in the same freaking apartment block, we’ll go home together.’ you simply announce and watch him as he nods along ‘Then how about we treat that voice of yours before that? I know something that can help and I swear to God-’ you place a hand over your chest ‘-I’m not going to kill you. So peace?’

For a few moments, for a few heartbeats Demetri simply keeps staring up at you. His expression is absolutely blank, his blue eyes seemingly shimmering into the pure morning sun reaching down from the sky and for a single moment you are left both breathless and self-conscious; your hair was currently nothing but a nest and after so many hours of singing you looked like a Frankenstein bride wanna-be, so having such a man look upon you was utterly uncomfortable. And also, you were breathless because your body refused to do anything else but gaze upon the wintery dream right before your eyes who breathed and lived and merely existed right before you. Eventually, he smirks and nods; eventually, you realize you had been staring and turning as red as a tomato, you mumble something incoherent and run off to get both your stuff.

Honestly, the only thing you wanted was to help him out with his pained voice, so you take him to a street seller on the nearby park, who sold the best remedy for a pained voice: homemade hot chocolate with a teaspoon of honey and a pinch of cinnamon. Demetri was adamant in offering and practically ordering you to pass your hand on his elbow and both of you set off towards the park with you talking almost non-stop; it was a bad habit you had when you were nervous and all the smiles and nods Demetri offered you weren’t helping at all. The street seller offered both of you a cup of the murderously sweet yet energizing drink and you decided to walk back to your apartments with your leisure, enjoying the morning breeze and the sounds of the city waking up.

With just a few sips from the drink, Demetri’s voice started to come back and the pain lessened, so before you even knew it, you were already chatting up pretty animatedly, laughing and delving deep into comfortable conversations. Apparently, he was born in Volos, Greece, grew up in Rome and eventually moved at the age of 15 to London where he finished his studies as a paramedic and came here to travel a bit and see a few things before he got down to work and settle permanently. He was here for just a few months and didn’t really have a lot of friends other than his best friend Felix and a friendly couple, Jane and Caius. For the most part though, he was curious about your life and you happily obliged him, though, you kept out the part with Paul, only mentioning him as your ex. It felt calming to talk with Demetri and for the first time in a few months, you felt bereft of the cautious feeling nagging at the back of your head; everything was calm, warm, easy and felt as comforting as if you were standing under the warm sun on a cold day.

Little did you know then, that things were steadily and surely changing for the better. Demetri was surely a persistent man and in the few months following your acquaintance, his extroverted self decided to adopt your introverted ass and proceeded to keep bothering you every minute of every day. Waltzing in your apartment like he freaking owned the place, eating your food (and restocking it afterwards, nagging at you to ‘feed yourself better’), staying over without even asking, nagging at you to take better care of yourself, be careful, stay healthy and generally following you around everyday like a lost , 6’ 3’ puppy that never !ever! shut the fuck up. At first it was troublesome; he got on your nerves with his constant flirting and nagging. But after a while your irritation mellowed down and feelings you thought long ago extinct from within you stated to arise; happiness, teasing, laughing, flirting and eventually, a major falling for the man who kept you constant company and flirted with you every single day like you were the most beautiful and unique woman he had ever seen in his entire life. He never treated you wrongly. Never was anything but extremely sweet and careful with you, as if you were made of glass. How could you not fall for his Casanova aura yet extremely passionate personality?

You knew he was falling for you as well; maybe you were naïve, but not utterly blind. Everyone who knew you both –especially Leah and Sam– started betting when you were actually going to pull your freaking heads out of the sand and officially start dating. Alas, you didn’t want to think about it. Cause deep down, you knew what was going to happen and what that would mean for him. You didn’t want him to get hurt. Not him of all people.

_ ‘For the love of God woman, open the door; your **man** is here!’_

The muffled voice coming from beyond the front door surely seemed animatedly excited for eleven in the freaking morning and after just a rough couple of hours of sleep.

Christmas was a week away and the soft snow had already covered the whole city up like a pristine blanket of the purest white; everything was freezing and the joyful spirits for the upcoming festivities were spreading like the plague among the people, but unfortunately, not to you. Grumpily getting up from the sofa where you had crashed this morning, you don’t bother with peeling the warm blankets off, so like a true yeti, you drag your corpse towards the door feeling your heart beating faster inside your chest in the sound of the familiar voice.

Gently placing your hand on the lock, you smile to yourself sweetly ‘Which one of my men are you again?’ you joke, your voice sounding gruff and heavy with sleep, forcing you to cough a bit.

A dramatic gasp comes from the other side of the door _‘I’m gone for just a week and you’ve already forgotten me, amore?’_

‘You’re all so many I lost count.’ You chuckle and unlock but hold yourself back from opening the door ‘Have you arrived baring gifts?’

Silence ‘_Of course’_ he sounded like he leaned towards the door and the grin was so obvious in his voice that you rolled your eyes ‘_I’m wearing **only** a red ribbon.’_

Alright.

Two things happened.

First, your face burned from the inside out with a rich tomato color.

Second, you opened the door quicker than you’d ever admit; either to yourself or to anyone else.

And lo and behold, Demetri stood right before your excited eyes with his hands shoved in his jean pockets and a sly, satisfied grin gracing his features. It had only been one week since he left to travel briefly to his parents and you found yourself missing him terribly in the meantime. So now that he was right in front of you yet again, you took his image in like vintage wine even if the tint of disappointment is not absent from your face. He seems a bit more tired than normal –black circles are starting to form- but his blue eyes are deep and swirling with pure happiness and adoration as they regard you. He laughs and the sound chases away the last traces of sleep.

‘Disappointed huh?’ he teases ‘Birthday suit is scheduled for later tonight.’ He winks and your cheeks burn even further.

‘I-it’s too early for this Demetri.’ You sigh and lean against the door, while his eyes travel over your ‘attire’ and his eyebrow arcs in amusement.

‘Are you finally cocooning? Took you a bit, mio amore.’ He messes with you with a chuckle and you pout.

‘Nobody messes with the ogre of the swamp dude, so you better pay up for entrance or I’ll have your booty for tonight.’ You try your best to sound grumpy but ultimately can’t fight back the smile creeping its way on the corners of your lips.

Demetri grins and his eyes flash ‘I was thinking about Italian and a nice tiramisu for tonight, but your suggestion sounds far more interesting. How about you get dressed and come by my place? I’ll tell you all about exotic England and feed you something warm.’

‘Deal. Come in and lemme just throw something on.’

‘I am something.’

‘Shut it Casanova.’

Tightening your grip around your blankets, you shuffle towards your bedroom to get ready as Demetri closes the door behind him and waits for you. Today dawned particularly cold and you were absolutely freezing as you dropped the blankets on your bed and quickly changed to your warmest clothes; combing your h/c locks with your hands –swearing under your breath when you pull at a knot–, you go around your normal daycare just to be presentable around the gorgeous man, rushing yourself a bit from all the excitement of having Demetri all to yourself once again. Not that you cared per se, but it’s impolite to keep him waiting. And gosh darn it; with all the snow around here, you’re ready to pass out if you don’t dress up as quickly as you can. Messily pulling one of your favorite hoodies over your head, you slip on your slippers and venture out in the living room.

Only to find Demetri glaring irritably at you, his sturdy hands folded over his chest and foot tapping rhythmically against the floor.

Uh oh.

The fuck did you do now?

Instantly, cold sweat bathes you and instinctively you take a step back ‘I swear it’s not my fault.’ You hear yourself say automatically, but you have no idea why he’s angry as you raise your hands in surrender.

Demetri stares sharply at you and he doesn’t seem the _least _happy ‘How long?’ he laconically asks.

Your head tilts to the side, confusion paints your characteristics ‘How long what?’

‘How long have you been living without the radiators ______.’ He reprimands you like he’s talking to a little child ‘Christ, I’ve been away for a single week! When did they stop working and for the love of God, tell me it was yesterday.’

Oh…..that.

Guiltily, you clasp your hands behind your back and look at everything else but him ‘It’s been four days actually.’ You murmur.

‘Four days in the dead of winter, with freezing temperatures and no radiators; no wonder you are paler than the dead.’ He repeats icily and his stare is more tired than it is angry at you.

‘It’s nothing really; barely noticed it and besides, I’m going to have them fixed next week.’

‘If you had told me, I’d help out mio amore. We talked every day; you could have mentioned something like that.’ He sighs and upon looking at you, his anger evaporates as silence prevails between the two of you.

Honestly speaking, it was freezing and snowing almost every day surely not making things any easier for you, but then again you’d die before you asked Demetri for money; it was a pride thing deep inside your mind despite knowing very well he had no problem helping you out. The adult you though wanted no help, so you were left in the piercing cold to sleep under layers and layers of all the blankets you had around. Demetri was merely chastising you, but you’d feel a lot worse if you asked him for money; a thought you chose to keep for yourself than voice it out loud.

All these thoughts had you completely occupied, so you fail to notice the two sturdy hands wrapping around you until it was too late; unceremoniously, you are picked off from the floor and flung over a shoulder. Surprise penetrates you and you yelp loudly as Demetri turns on his heel and marches out of the apartment with you hanging from his shoulder like you weighted absolutely nothing.

‘You’re an idiot you know that?’ he says and fishes his keys out of his pocket ‘But you’re _my_ idiot.’

Smirking, you reply ‘I don’t think I have a stamp on my butt that says ‘_Demetri’s’_.’ you wait patiently, listening to his keys clattering on his hands until the man manages to find the correct one and open the door to his apartment with a wide motion.

‘Not yet, but that’s gonna change sooner or later.’ He throws back at you and you’d had blushed were you not freezing to death.

‘All talk and no action as usual.’ You challenge half-heartedly ‘Flirtation method lamest as ever.’

‘Still wining your heart though; so I win.’ He chuckles as he carries you into the warm interior, throwing you on the sofa, making you squeal by the sudden loss of contact and the feeling of falling, before going into the kitchen to prepare breakfast for the both of you.

Demetri’s house was pretty much like your own, only reversed and with far more expensive furniture giving the whole place a warmer and richer aura that made you feel immediately at home. You had spent a lot of days in here and especially now that you were freezing, the warmth coming from the radiators was a welcome relief for your cold self. Demetri fixed the both of you something to eat quickly and joined your on the sofa to binge some ‘_The Alienist’_ series together, enjoying being in each others company once again. It didn’t take long for you to be leaning casually against him, his hand draped over your shoulders to keep you as close as ever, the both of you commenting vividly to all the things happening in the series. Dakota Fanning was awesome, you agreed, even if a bit bitchy, and Luke Evans was so adorable it was too much for your poor heart.

Exactly like the heat radiating off from Demetri, making you melt towards him and find a place that you felt relaxed and somewhat protected. You didn’t know why, but you felt safe with him, like nothing was going to touch you; there was no ill will, there was no deception with Demetri. It was only true and unchained emotions of home and adoration towards him. It was so simple being with him; you didn’t have to pretend you were someone other than yourself, you didn’t have to watch what you were saying in case he mistook your words for something they were not, you didn’t have to be anything but unapologetically your own quirky self. It was a relief. It was something you just now got to experience and it was as intoxicating as it was freeing.

So you don’t really think about it when both of you share dinner and he offers to open a new bottle of wine his parents gave him from their vineyards in Italy. It’s a _Brunello di Montalcino_ after all and after your initial shock that one whole bottle costs even more than 50 dollars you’d never pay for just wine, who were you to say no to some free alcohol? Before you even know it, you’re already through your third glass and you are laughing hysterically at Demetri’s crazy ex-girlfriend stories, tears rolling freely from your eyes and face a little pink from all the alcohol running free inside your veins.

‘I’m not kidding!’ he laughs and you practically fall back on the pillows wheezing for air, letting out dying whale noises of laughter ‘This other time, when i was about 20 or so I got a date with a girl I liked. We met in a local pub for a few drinks and things were great. I was getting all the good signs with lots of hand touching and the like. An hour of pure bliss went by and I needed to use the bathroom. After washing my hands I went to the hand dryer and it didn't work and looked like part of the protective grill was hanging from it. I wanted to dry my hands because I wanted more of the hand-holdy stuff. In the single most stupidly brain fart moment of my life I thought "I can fix this!" and put my hand inside the nozzle of the dryer.’

‘Nooooooooooooo! You didn’t!’ you exclaim between desperate tries to breathe as you laugh.

He nods solemnly, looking at you with a knowing look ‘WHY!? Why the fuck did I think that!? Obviously I got buzzed by the electric heating element, fell back and cracked my head on the wall. I didn't get knocked out but needed a few minutes to sort my shit out before going back. I didn't have the balls to tell her what had happened; brain fart number two. I had a banging headache and I wasn’t quite right. Not much later she made her excuses and left and turned me down when I asked her for a second date. A year or so later I found out she had told her friend that she really liked me, but I went to the toilet and when I came out I was acting really weird and she _"wasn't up for dating someone on drugs.’_

‘Alright, alright, you win at the worst date ever, I seriously can’t top that!’ you take a sip of wine ‘And now that I think about it, I don’t wanna top it as well! The worst thing that I can actually think of happening to me was at my high school prom. Now, I had been dating one of my classmates for two years already, being high school sweethearts and all that freaky jazz that makes you cringe your life away when you’re older, he was the team captain and I was his quirky girlfriend. As expected, we were to go to prom together, so he comes to pick me up, my parents take pictures and off we go. Getting there we mingle just fine, the party has begun but not in full swing just yet so we have time to goof around. Everything was amazing until someone stepped on my foot with a stiletto heel. I felt a bit of pain but couldn't see it because of my big dress. I walked over to first aid and they told me to sit down. I finally saw the cut on my foot and a large blood clot coming out like ‘hello world!’. Not being good with blood, I fainted. While they put an oxygen mask on me, a very concerned principal came over and repeatedly asked if I was on drugs. Needless to say, I was not voted Prom Queen.’

‘Please tell me the little punk rock cookie didn’t spend the night alone in the emergency?’ he asks and despite the smile gracing his face, there is genuine concern painting his eyes.

You nod negatively ‘My parents fetched me soon after but prom was ruined for me. My boyfriend though had a great time with his friends; he even got voted Prom King.’

‘Asshole should’ve been with you.’ he says, interrupting you out of the blue ‘At least that’s what I would do; can’t let your lady’s side at a time like this.’

‘Why ruin his fun for me?’

Your voice sounds alien even to you at this very moment; you were so taken aback by the sudden declaration, you blurt out whatever was crossing your mind without really thinking it. Demetri turns to nail a serious blue gaze upon you and as his lips half open seductively –a motion that is as natural as it is alluring– and his voice is low but determined.

‘You deserve the world _____ and don’t you dare believe otherwise.’

Cold air is sucked inside your lungs through your parted lips and your brain simply seizes to function altogether. The next day when you’d wake up between warm sheets that smelled of lilac and honey you’d blush and curse at your boldness, but right now, your emotions mix with the wine and the sweet words engraving their way into your very soul so without spending a single second for some reasonable thinking, you lean towards the man and connect your lips into a tender kiss.

Limbs get tangled in just a few heartbeats’ time, glasses of wine and movie forgotten as consciousness gives way to pure soul and the ripe taste of red wine is covered by the sweetness of a perfect kiss. Something in the back of your head is screaming at you, screeching piercingly and demanding your attention for matters you have already forgotten, alas your heart is currently exploding inside your ribcage as the perfect man right beside you returns the kiss with such fervor that you are taken aback by the magnitude of it. He is cold; even after all the wine and the warm atmosphere offered by the heating system, his skin is still oh so cold under your fingertips and despite the stark contrast with your boiling one, you find it easier to breathe. As if you’re standing on a mountain top, breathing in the pure air. As if you are diving into the cold ocean to leave your worries behind you for a second. Everything drowns from around you, leaving just the two of you on this earth to indulge to one another, worries forgotten and fears pushed down for the sake of being with another living and breathing soul.

At some point, you are picked up and carried towards an unfamiliar bed which is way warmer and more welcoming than your own. Hands travel slowly and carefully over warm and cold surfaces respectively, tracing the new territory, searching to find all the spots that elicit not pain, but pleasure. He is so cold; yet his hair is amazingly soft to the touch, his skin gives off his naturally alluring aroma that is so intoxicating, it drives you utterly wild. Well-formed muscles flex under your fingertips, lips travel all over your body and breath fans your scorching skin. How long has it been since the last time you’ve been touched in such way? Lovingly, carefully, like a miracle happening before mortal eyes? …… Never…… It was nothing like the times you were intimate with Paul, and in him you’d once thought you found your soulmate… So you find yourself starved for human contact. It has been so long since the last time you’ve been with someone who was both in awe and reverence for your body and soul alike; starved, you try pulling Demetri as close to you as you could, wanting and wishing for time to stop so you can preserve this moment forever. Indulging thoroughly into one another, discovering pleasures of the flesh you’d never experience before in the past. Your voices rise to form a chorus in your ears, until everything explodes and you are experiencing an intimacy words cannot describe adequately.

When you wake up next to one another the next morning, sated and happy, his hand is already tracing light circles over your back, never pausing over some old blemishes you knew marred your skin. He teases you, you pout and tease him back and the both of you fall into a comfortable and warm togetherness. He makes breakfast, you sing as you take a shower and choose the movie both of you are gonna see. Even if he eventually gets the radiators in your house to work, none of you wants to separate from one another and you spend the whole week till Christmas together. Your fears are finally at rest and you are genuinely happy; he is in love with you, you are in love with him, you are together. What else can one ask for?

The day after Christmas finds you discussing which would be the perfect destination for a quick getaway over the weekend, after New Year’s. January 1st was your birthday after all and Demetri insisted you went somewhere to celebrate, especially since you worked on New Year’s Eve.

‘We can always travel to Vancouver you know.’ He simply shrugs, flipping the pancake with deftness, dressed in nothing but his sweatpants, hair scandalously mixed by your hands earlier ‘I’ve got a few acquaintances that have a small cottage just in the outskirts of town.’

‘Hmm, doesn’t sound bad and we could use a bit of nature to relax don’t you think?’ you agree, resting your chin on his shoulder and planting a small kiss on the nape of his neck; there’re a few scratches on his back and you can’t help the small smirk which finds its way on your lips.

‘Or’ he pours a new pancake on the hot pan and his next words freeze you to the bone ‘We could always visit your family in La Push. It’s been a while since the last time you saw them, right? I’d love to meet the people who made such a beautiful woman.’

Without controlling it, your body freezes against him and your jaw sets harshly. It’s been almost two years since the last time you saw both your mother and father, quite a lot happening in the meantime, keeping you from traveling back to see them or calling them over. Any communication you had with them was through the phone, where you mainly avoided any specific questions that would put you into trouble. You were safe here; you were safe and sound and you’d die before compromising the sanctuary you had created for yourself on a whim. Yet the words to explain that to Demetri were nowhere to be found within you and instinctively, your walls rise to protect you.

It was Demetri’s voice that pulled you out of your thoughts, realizing the man was waiting for some short of explanation or answer to his question.

‘No, we can’t go see my folks; this is out of the question.’ You declare, pulling yourself away from him as you cross your hands over your chest and lean on the counter a few inches away from him. The loss of heat is making you shiver but as you cast your gaze to the pancakes, you feel defensive and angry all of the sudden. This conversation must die or you’ll leave.

Demetri looks at you –surprised at first– but as his gaze falls upon your serious face, his lips close and his shoulders roll out; there’s something wrong with you and the man is not naïve not to pick it up immediately. Damn he knew you too well already.

‘Mio amore, I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable.’ He coos in a calming, sincere way, trying to get you to open up but not pushing too much to force it out of you. He was enough of a gentleman to do that.

Nodding, you wave him off ‘My family is a bit different from yours Demetri. We love each other to bits, but going back won’t be good. Not for me, not for them and not for you either.’ _It would be dangerous. So, so terribly dangerous. Who knows what could happen? What he could do?!_

It was a horrible, dreadful thought that triggered all alerts inside your brain to protect yourself but also the people you love. One of them being the man standing right before you. Without controlling it, your heartbeat picks up the pace insanely quickly while your palms and back of your neck bathe in cold sweat; your throat feels raw and you have to literally command your brain to inhale and exhale. Draining, horrifying, until warmth envelops you like a secure blanket and you are pulled into the security of sturdy hands that smell of lilac, honey and summer rain. Words are whispered soothingly and fingers trace calming circles on your back.

‘Shhhhh, it’s okay. Everything’s okay… I’m right here beside you.’ Demetri whispers.

It takes the man quite a few minutes to properly calm you down from what would have been a full-out panic attack if you were alone and you spend the rest of the morning curled up on the sofa. Wrapped safely into warm blankets with his sturdy and reassuring hands encircling you softly but steadily as you watch TV, laugh and eat away the breakfast you had made yourselves. Everything about this morning is forgotten after you finally decide to visit Vancouver and by the looks of it, tonight was going to be just as cozy and relaxing as the rest of the evenings this week. That is, until the doorbell goes off late in the evening.

‘I’ll get that.’ You pull your corpse off the sofa, blowing a kiss to Demetri and knowing full well his eyes are locked on your behind as you purposely move them seductively as you make your way towards the door. A smile erupts on your face and naughty thoughts invade your mind.

A few ‘fun’ thoughts for later come in mind.

Absentmindedly, you look through the peephole to see who is ringing.

Only for horror to strike you dumb exactly right where you were standing.

Instinctively, you take a few steps away from the door, hands flying to cover your mouth and eyes starring horrifyingly towards it as if it was ready to explode at any given moment. Fear. Horrifying danger. PANIC!

Why? Because over this goddamn door which is the only barrier keeping you from the living nightmare which was once your life, is a man you know all too well. Tall and very muscular, with broad shoulders of a true football player, his features scream of masculinity and power mixed with the uniqueness of the Quileute tribe which adds an exotic aura to his features. Majestic russet colored skin, matched with chocolate brown eyes and short cut brown hair, Paul is the epitome of a masculine and handsome male; not in the same way as Demetri’s breathtaking and otherworldly beauty but in a more humane and rough beauty. He hasn’t seemed to change over the time you haven’t seen him and honestly, him being here right now is enough to shove you hard over the edge of sanity and tranquility. Only instinct you possess right now is to get the fuck as far away as you can from the unsuspecting male, screaming at yourself about how the absolute fuck did he manage to find you? You had wiped all traces of yourself off from the surface of the earth, you hid so well it seemed impossible to be found out. Alas here he was, in all his dangerous glory, ringing just outside Demetri’s door. It mustn’t be a coincidence; there are no things like coincidences when it comes to stuff like these.

Like a punch in the gut, your hands fly to cover your stomach as you fold over and back away, air leaving the entirety of this small and cozy apartment. Suffocating. You are suffocating and there’s nothing you can do about it as you desperately try to support yourself on any sturdy surface; the knocks on the door continue, sounding loud and pounding and menacing, and cold sweat bathes you from top to bottom. The living room seems to elongate as you shrink back and try to disappear from the face of the earth or at least end this nightmare altogether. Images of nights long forgotten, buried deep inside the darkest parts of your mind resurface to flash before your eyes and force tears to run down your cheeks in abundance. It’s only when warm hands wrap around you and the coldness ebbs away as a sturdy surface connects with your back carefully, pulling you away from the door that the world falls back into place.

Desperately, you turn your head to see Demetri’s face laced with concern and your first instinct is to warn him.

‘D-d-d!.....D-on’t open….door!...do—or. No!’

‘What? Why? Who’s out there?’ he asks confused.

Shaking your head, you start pulling him away from the hellish door ‘N..o! Don-t! Ple-ase!’

It’s painful not to breathe, but for everything you hold most dear, you mustn’t let him open the door.

It seems like a century passed before the knocking stops and the retreating footsteps pull with them your panic and you settle for the ability to breathe once again. As your mind falls into place, you find yourself distraught and desperately holding onto a very confused Demetri, who doesn’t even know what almost happened and only asks you repeatedly if you are okay, rushing to bring you a glass of water. How can you possibly explain this absolute shit to him? He’ll most certainly stop looking at you like he does now… as if someone placed the sun and the moon in your eyes. This only reminds you of what **actually** happened right before his eyes.

He saw you break apart. He saw you having a panic attack. He saw you become weak and pathetic and now there’s no going back from there. This is bad. This is oh so bad and the degrading voices inside your head erupt into a cacophony of noise as they tell you that you blew everything apart. All the time you blow things up and destroy what could even remotely resemble happiness with your stupidity and recklessness and everything that’s so fucked up with you. Paul found you so easily and it was your fault, it was your entire fault and you tried to bring an innocent man, a truly kind and supportive man like Demetri into your mess and screw him over with your pathetic excuse of existence all over again. Why couldn’t you just stop? Stop and be gone from this earth, stop hurting people that are around you?! He was right in the end; you’re such a sad and selfish little human. You don’t deserve anything. Let alone love.

‘Hey. Hey _____, it’s okay. Everything’s okay; I’m right here beside you and I’m not gonna leave you.’ Demetri’s gentle voice brings you back to reality and you realize painfully, that you were on the verge of another breakdown.

Shakily, you blink the new tears away as you accept the glass he’s offering you, wrapping your hands around the cold surface as if it’s your lifeline.

‘I’m..’ you hesitate ‘I’m really sorry for that Demetri.’ Your voice sounds both tired and shaky, much more than what you’d really like. _Pathetic_….

He smiles dazzlingly ‘Nothing to be ashamed of mio amore. Though you seem shaken; who was that on the door?’

It was just a simple question. One anyone would ask after witnessing all this mess. _All this pathetic mess_, you tell yourself degradingly. Alas, you weren’t in the right position to answer that.

Without controlling it, you jerk away when Demetri tries to rest his hand on your shoulder and instead jump on your feet like an electric current went through you. Demetri is surprised and clearly hurt by your actions, but as you turn a cold gaze towards him, you know you’ve got to do this for his own well-being. It was a lovely, dreamy week for you; but the harsh reality is already here to show her ugly face. You mustn’t pull him down in the gutter along with you.

‘Nobody. Just a stranger.’ You reply coldly and visibly, the man stiffens ‘I’m sorry Demetri, but I’ve got to go. I shouldn’t stay around longer.’

It was like a hard slap across the face; you could see it in the surprised and hurtful expression which flashed over the heavenly blue of his eyes and it broke your heart into a million pieces as you turned your back to him and hastily gathered your stuff, not once looking at him. In the silence, you could hear two hearts breaking and it was the loudest quiet ever. Yet it hurt you like poison as you opened the door and walked out without anyone stopping you.

Hurrying to shut yourself inside your apartment; away from anyone you could hurt irreparably.

Demetri would understand. If he knew he would understand and avoid you on his own. You knew you hurt him, but this way was much easier than the other one. In time, he would forget about you entirely and move on with his life, exactly like he deserved.

As the door closed heavily behind you, you leaned against it and dropped to the floor. Blind; you had gone blind from the tears as soon as you left him behind but only now did you allow them to cascade your face without stopping. It hurt so fucking much, you already missed him but you could never go back. Actually, you were going to disappear once again and take the nightmares along with you. It was for him, for his own good! You’d never forgive yourself if something happened to him because of you. Still, it hurt like a gunshot wound straight to the chest, and no matter how much you pressed your hands against you chest the pain never lessened.

Curling up into a ball on the floor, you allow pain to completely consume you.

**~ * * ~**

The next few days passed within a delirious, tear filled haze of absolute pain.

It was as if the whole world had lost its color within a fragment of a second, leaving you behind to gaze at the scenery of black and white. After you broke down right in front of the door, body exhausted by the sobs and pain and hurt that flooded from within you in abundance, you passed out on the cold merciless floor only to be awakened by the first rays of the morning sunlight. With great difficulty, you dragged your limbs to the bedroom, only to get under the covers and sink yourself back into the numbness of sleep. Even there, within the depths of your subconscious, the nightmares and pain plagued you like ghosts, forcing you to wake up screaming and crying. Demetri’s hurtful eyes. Paul’s menacing presence. Your faults, your memories, your uselessness. Everything chased you down like true hellhounds and surrendered whatever sanctuary you had made for yourself in flames. There was no point in getting out of bed; only for the severest of cases did you stand up only to immediately go back as soon as the tasks were completed. No point in eating; you could barely stomach a few bites and if you dared try more, you rushed to the toilet as they forced their way back up. Your head was tearing itself apart from the inside out and your heart dripped with rich blood coming from your wounds. What could you do to make everything stop? The only thing you wanted was to feel nothing; even numbness was better than all this pain and sorrow ripping your soul in half and leaving you alive to feel it…

Paul hadn’t dared to come back. For now at least. Only Demetri had come by, at first simply knocking and begging you to open the door and hear him out; he was sorry if he did something to hurt you and no matter what was wrong with you or any situation you were facing, he swore he’d stand with you. Help you. Understanding everything. As he got no response, he started declaring he wasn’t going to leave until you opened up. He called and texted you many times, more than you could count and the texts made you cry even harder each and every single time. He would be there, he’d always be there. But you never opened. You never made a single sound and on the contrary, you listened intently as he made his way around his apartment, continuing with his life and moving on.

So the next days passed in a haze and there’d be no change in them if Jasper didn’t force you to come to work. Apparently, Demetri had also spoken with him to find out if he knew anything and Jasper immediately called you to see what was going on; he was ready to scold you like a little child, but upon hearing your gravelly voice announce to him that Paul was back, he faltered. He understood. Understood that you had to leave town and move somewhere far away for your safety; he’d actually give you a month in advance so you’d be able to do so. His only condition was that you spend one last night –your birthday– with them. A well deserved goodbye for all the moments you spend with them. This was the only thing that could make you move, pick up whatever pieces you could and actually stand in front of your mirror, making sure that your clothes and makeup were [okay](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/bc/f9/b8/bcf9b88fa5df48932c7ad06b3d44c1cc.jpg); you’d chosen to dress as comfortably as you could, since high-heels are not easy to run with in case Paul decided to show his fugly face, while the makeup covered the heavy, dark circles permanently settling under your eyes. You looked like shit, you felt like shit, but these people deserved a proper goodbye. Only thing you hoped for was for Demetri to ignore and stay away from you.

The night outside was abnormally alive and cold. People were walking excitedly up and down the streets, talking, laughing and preparing for the New Year’s as you navigated through them, pulling your scarf a little bit higher over your face; always checking over your shoulder, always keeping an eye out for any possible shadow that would mean the end of you. To your luck, you hadn’t stumbled upon Demetri on your way out, which must be a good sign right? Quickly, you made your way to the club, nodding courtly to the bodyguards in the entrance and entering the warm interior.

‘______! Please tell Leah that marrying in a graveyard is definitely **not** a romantic idea!’ Sam’s voice perks your head up as you pull the scarf from your neck and gaze over the club.

Edward and Alec were already setting the stage up, waving animatedly and welcoming you with warm smiles you were unable to return, while further in, Sam was folding his hands irritably over his sturdy chest as Leah pouted and cursed him under her breath.

‘You’re the one suggesting a Halloween wedding! Oh, so romantic!’ Leah rolls her eyes exasperatedly, forcing Sam to regret all his life choices.

‘Isn’t it your favorite time of the year?’ he asks as calmly as he can achieve. The towel in his hands is reaching the limits and is about to be torn apart with the sheer force he’s pulling it.

‘Yeah and the graveyard will come in handy when I murder you after the damn ceremony for wanting me to come to the altar on foot from my house 20 blocks away!!!’ she glares at him, hitting her hand on the bar with power that made you jump in horror a little bit.

You hated loud noises right about now.

Also, you had no time for this ‘Sam, tequila. Straight.’ You say calmly. Maybe a little too calmly.

Both of them turn to look at you, eyes filling with concern before exchanging a look and Sam grabbed the bottle of tequila, pouring you a drink. Downing it in one go, you opt for another one and he obliges. The warm liquid tickles your throat as it goes down but isn’t enough to chase away the cold. Only in rare cases did you ask for anything else but your favorite shot, let alone such strong drink like that. It is enough to push your friends on edge and alert them of shit going sideways.

‘Geez gurl.’ Leah’s voice is laced with concern as she looks at you ‘You look like shit.’

‘Paul is back. He came by my apartment and when he didn’t find me, he rang at Demetri’s. We didn’t answer because I flipped my shit right in front of him, after a whole week of amazing sex and cuddling.’

Is all you have to say pretty much. Both of them fall silent; Sam has become rigid and emotionless while Leah’s bottom lip detaches from the upper and her eyebrows meet in horror over her beautiful eyes. She leans back a bit. You sigh and click your tongue, looking away. A moment of total silence descends upon you and eventually ends when Sam wordlessly pulls another two shot glasses and fills all three with pure tequila.

‘Bottom’s up ladies.’

All of you drink and as you place down the glass, you feel a vice hand wrap around your arm.

‘May I speak with you for a bit?’ a familiar voice says and your heart plummets as you come face to face with Demetri.

If you looked a hundred per cent like shit, Demetri was definitely not too far behind. It shocks you as he stands before you, hand grabbing you forcefully from the arm and blue eyes filled with sternness and a tint of pain he tried his best to conceal; alas, you knew him all too well. His face appeared almost ashen and dark circles rested under his eyes, betraying he hadn’t been getting much sleep either. Not wanting to cause a scene –especially since heads had already turned to you both– you allow him to drag you towards the back, were the storeroom awaited for you empty and away from any prying eyes. The moment the door closes, you fold your hands over your chest defensively as he stares you in silence for a moment.

His lips part as his eyes ran over your whole appearance, a shadow of an emotion fleeting, alas you were unable to discern it ‘What the absolute fuck happened back in my house?’

It was a simple question and to be honest, you were amazed by how calm he tried to be.

Shrugging, you shift your weight from one leg to another ‘I know you must be mad with me and you have every reas-‘

‘I’m not mad. Not mad at all actually. I’m hurt.’

It’s like a stab in the gut all over again. Swallowing hard, you avoid his gaze ‘We’re not fit for one another Demetri. You’re really bright and have all the opportunities ahead of you; it’d be unfair of me to drag you into my shit when it was only just a hook up.’

Those words were tearing you apart from the inside out; alas you knew you had to hurt him to keep him safe. This was the only way. You didn’t believe them, but your voice sounded so steady right at that moment and Demetri grew so rigid beside you; his gaze burnt your face but you refused to look at him.

‘…That’s all I am to you…?’ his voice breaks and all his emotions flash before you ‘A hook up?’

‘I can’t afford to come close to people Demetri. There’s too much shit going on in my life and I don’t want to come close to people anymore. So I hurt them; it’s all I know how to do.’ You coldly say straight at his face, savagely biting down on your lip.

‘Is it so bad that I want to get close to you _____? Is it so bad I’m falling for you? It never happens to me either, but here we are.’ He raises his hands exasperatedly and his sadness gives way to hurt anger and for a strange reason you are glad; you knew how to work with anger.

‘Can you please stop? I can’t love you. I don’t know how.’ You declare but your words are failing to convince even yourself.

His jaw clenches tightly ‘I don’t believe you.’

‘Believe what you want. We’re done here.’

And with that, you turn your back on him and exit this dreadful storeroom. As soon as you enter the main area, Sam pours you more drinks without even asking; nobody asked you anything honestly and after Demetri walked out to join Edward and Alec, everybody could guess what had gone down from your grim expressions. Leah patted you lightly in the back, her warm hands giving you a bit of reassurance you did the right thing you could do for Demetri. Either way, it was your last day here and after tonight none of them would ever see you again.

Time passed as if someone had set the clocks to run faster and before you even knew it, the club was already filled with people and you were walking on stage, waving at the ecstatic crowd and welcoming them for another amazing night. Beside you, Demetri spared no glance towards you and instead grabbed his guitar before you started singing. It relieved you. If you met those ocean blue eyes again, your façade would definitely fall and God have mercy on both your souls then. So instead, you focused on giving those sons-of-bitches right before you the time of their lives. You sang and sang and sang with wild abandon, Demetri escorting you in all of the songs but all you could hear was your own voice.

‘And now, just before the New Year rolls in, I’d like to-‘

You froze.

Silence befell upon you and everyone stared at you, waiting for you to continue, alas you were too taken aback to form even a single peep. Too occupied you were feeling your heart come to a stop and your brain to wipe out every single thought, enabling all sirens to sound hard and clear. Your legs wobbled, earth was lost.

The crowd had spread a little bit, offering you just a glimpse towards the entrance of the club; there, on the other side with his hands shoved into his pockets and his dark gaze focused upon you, stood Paul. Dark and menacing, glaring straight at you, ready to pounce down and chase after you; Leah had also spotted him but she and Sam were far away and with no way to him. Jasper was nowhere to be seen.

‘To tell everyone it’s my birthday tomorrow–’ You manage to recompose yourself, but your voice is breaking hard and fast. Demetri’s also staring at you, sensing something amiss and upon seeing you staring somewhere in the crowd, he tries to pinpoint the threat for himself. You can’t stray your gaze from Paul even for a blink of an eye; in case something bad happens.

‘How about we celebrate it together y’all?’ as the crowd cheers happily, tears roll down your cheeks and you lift up a small glass of tequila, raising it to a toast with everyone mimicking you and as the new song you had specially requested picks up from behind you.

‘_Some say, now suffer all the children and walk away a savior or a madman and polluted from gutter institutions… Don't you breathe for me; undeserving of your sympathy. Cause there ain't no way that I'm sorry for what I did.’ _You almost choke as the crowd swerves gently on the sorrowful sound you loved so much and everyone sings along with you, hugging their loved ones and sharing warm smiles_ ‘And through it all how could you cry for me? Cause I don't feel bad about it. So shut your eyes, kiss me goodbye, and sleep. Just sleep………..The hardest part is letting go of your dreams.’_

Memories of times long past flash before your eyes and you notice that the pain and suffering overpowers the love you had experienced. Everything seemed so loving and happy and inspiring back when you hadn’t come face to face with a true monster, when your family was standing right beside you and not against you and your whole future was right before you, yours for the taking. Innocence, love and oh-so-much naivety. But you were happy; truly and utterly. Just like you were a few days ago when you were with Demetri; only to have the monster come back again from the shadows and rip it out of your grip once again.

Blinking the tears away, you smile and raise your glass higher.

_‘…A drink for the horror that I'm in…’ _you turn your teary gaze to smile lovingly at Demetri, not able to hold back your true emotions and wanting him to remember you smiling and happy beside him, not the wounded mess you were; and his eyes understand it as well when they meet with yours.

_ ‘For the good guys and the bad guys-‘ _you turn your gaze to Paul_ ‘For the monsters that I've been.  
Three cheers for tyranny; unapologetic apathy…Cause there ain't no way that I'm coming back again.’_

_ Breathe _____, breathe…_

_‘And through it all how could you cry for me? Cause I don't feel bad about it. So shut your eyes, kiss me goodbye, and sleep…..Just sleep……The hardest part's the awful things that I've seen.’_

By now you’re clearly crying along with a few strangers from the crowd.

It brings a certain closure to a handful days of happiness.

_"...Sometimes I see flames. And sometimes I see people that I love dying and... it's always...Just sleep…..Just sleep………Just sleep………………Just sleep……………Just sleep…………………Just sleep…………………WAKE UUUUP!!!’_

You drop the glass as Paul starts walking through the crowd, forcing you to take a step back.

_"And I can't... I can't ever wake up."_

Without looking back, you bolt for the back door.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Demetri’s heavy footsteps sound in the old staircase a good four hours after midnight. The elevator was long ago broken and all the residents have to take the stairs, no matter if they lived on the third or the fifteenth floor. Many complains had been filed, alas falling on deaf ears. The man surely must be tired; it was a rough night after _____ bolted out of the club in hot pursuit of that strange man. Demetri tried to follow them but they were both gone by the time he made it to the back alley. He immediately notified Jasper, who closed the whole club down and everybody went out on the chilly streets to find the girl. It was four hours afterwards that they called it quits and hoped she had made it safely back home. So Demetri dragged his corpse up the stairs slowly, all the incidents and talks he had with you over the last days playing again and again in his mind. Something was terribly amiss and if it was what he feared, he should probably notify Felix and have the police department handle it.

Imagine his surprise when he finds you sitting down in front of your door in the long corridor.

The man halts and you feel his gaze roaming over you, searching for any indication that would betray how you were; honestly, you’re too tired to do anything but sit there, hood pulled over your head so your face is shrouded by darkness.

None of you moves and silence falls among you, so thick, you can practically cut it with a knife.

You are the first one to break it.

‘You were never just a hook up you know.’ You admit, voice barely above a whisper ‘A nuisance you were at first, but I fell for you long before we had sex.’

He takes a calculated step towards you, but dares not come any closer; probably sensing something is amiss by the amount of dust covering your clothes, along with the various tears scattered all over them. Disheveled was a polite way to describe you…

‘______’ your name falling from his lips sounds like heavenly bells, even if his voice is filled with concern ‘What happened?’

‘My life happened. Once again that is.’ You simply shrug ‘All the mess I didn’t want you a part of, since it was too dangerous. I thought I hid well enough not to be discovered by my ex boyfriend, but here we are. Again.’

‘Why did you not tell me ______?! I would have kept you safe!’ he declares feverishly and you chuckle solemnly.

‘Demetri, you don’t owe me anything. Nobody cares about me; not really…’

‘I care about you; more than you like to admit.’ He calmly states.

You remain silent once again. Yeah, you expected no less from such a passionate man like himself. After tonight, he had caught a fair glimpse of what your life was all about and it pained you to realize you could no longer run away from yourself and your feelings; you were head over hills for the man who steadily proclaimed his affection for you but you were also scared that he’d run after knowing the whole truth. You were scared Paul would find out and hurt him; you’d never be able to recover from that. You’d never forgive yourself. Alas, you are selfish; you want to be with him, you want someone to know what has happened and still be by your side and something whispered inside you, a small voice long ago buried, that Demetri was this man. Have faith ______!

With great difficulty, you raise your head to look at the man. The injuries pain you horribly and it’s hard to see him with only one eye –especially since tears were running– but you can clearly take notice of his halt in movements for a split second as he realized what had been done to you.

‘I hope you won’t run now.’ You admit but your attempt to smile breaks down in horrible pain emanating from your bruised jaw ‘Can’t chase you down with a sprained ankle.’

Words would never be enough for Demetri to describe in great detail what he felt when you finally looked up at him. He always thought you had a mesmerizing beauty; maybe not the exasperated beauty models or famous people had, but a natural one, one that made him think mother Earth took a special few minutes more just to finish up your worldly, smooth and gleaming beauty that could charm the words out of anyone and remain in their minds long after they met you. Now that beautiful face, those bright and playful e/c eyes were covered by a thick layer of dirt and blood, marring their beauty and breaking his heart in a far worse way than your words had done. Now he understood why you didn’t move a single muscle when he came up the stairs; he understood the rigidness in your posture, since he had seen it many times in Emergencies. Your left eye was closed and horribly swollen, your lips cut enough to need stitches and your jaw bruised into a painful swell. Nose was cracked most probably. Right ankle hanged in a strange angle and both legs were badly battered and dirtied, many cuts producing even more blood. You also hugged your right hand tightly against your chest while the hood you wore kept him from seeing the damage in your head; from the blood dripping and the serious cuts and bruises adorning your face, he knew. He knew all too well.

Anger bubbles dangerously in his chest and the need to protect you overrides everything else.

Without spending a single second, he drops to his knees beside you and gently rests one hand on your shoulder and another one –extremely carefully– on your chin, helping you look at him straight in the eye, seeing the fire shimmering in the royal blue hues.

‘I’m not going to leave your side ever again. I’m going to protect you with everything I have.’

All you can do is shake your head in agreement as a violent sob erupts from the depths of your chest, choking you. Demetri leans in to gently kiss your forehead, before picking you up bridal style and carrying you to his apartment, where the warmth that surrounds you feels once again like a true home.

It was not easy shrugging off your clothes and thank Dark Lord Voldemort Demetri was there to help you out. Settling you on the comfortable sofa, he helped remove your clothes before grabbing his first aid kit and a few towels with a bowl of hot water he used to clean up your skin and injuries. His gentle hands were all-too-careful and it was evident he was trained to do something like that; his hands flew over your wounds, clearing and revealing their full extend without eliciting any pain from you. Gingerly and feather-like touches, like the ones he used to wake you up with. His eyebrows were furrowed over his eyes in total concentration and his lips were tightly pressed into a thin line, which disappeared the more he understood the full extent of your injuries. Apparently, other than the various cuts and bruises along your skin, you had a badly bruised eye and jaw, a cracked nose, split lip, a concussion, horribly injured and bruised stomach, broken right wrist and sprained ankle. Many of the cuts needed stitches and for a few days you’d have to be under regular check-up to see how the concussion and stomach bruising would go; he hoped your stomach hadn’t pierced, because then you’d definitely need to be hospitalized.

‘It wasn’t like that at first you know…’ you murmur, watching him expertly sew one of your cuts in your hands. Both of you were sitting facing each other on the floor, where he had spread a few blankets to make it more comfortable.

‘It never is.’ He admits.

‘I was just a stupid, nerdy, weird girl-‘

‘I like weird. And I find you beautiful.’ He snaps automatically and you smile warmly at his automatic need to defend you.

‘Living in La Push was… a small community. Nothing much to do, not many places to see and by the time I was 16, I was your normal wallflower minding my own business. Until the freaking Captain of the football team confessed to me one day!’ you shrug ‘Paul was… the typical jock guy everybody wants, everybody looks up to and surely a… masculine beauty. He was my neighbor and best friends with my brothers Embry and Jake, so we pretty much grew up together. I didn’t really thought about being with him, but he was sweet and popular and my brothers and friends insisted we were a good match. So we became those two high-school lovebirds everybody swoons over and expected to get married right after graduation and all. Maybe we would, if I didn’t insist on first getting a degree and him following his career as a football player. My parents insisted on marriage but thankfully we were both on the same page on that.

‘So instead of marrying, we agreed to move in Seattle. It was the first time I really realized how… arrogant and pretentious Paul really was. I mean, I saw the signs earlier but we were just kids and in a closed environment we couldn’t really express ourselves. When we came here I got a front view to how shitty his personality really was; he would go out without telling me anything, coming back after several hours, drunk most of the time, and pretty irritable. Fighting with each other became everyday occurrence. He would get so jealous of me, refusing to let me out of the house, attend my courses, or even go anywhere if he wasn’t with me. When I spoke with my family he would be right beside me to know what I was saying; threaten me that if I did anything he wouldn’t like he would break up with me and mess my relationship with my family. Of course, like the idiot I was and completely in love, I’d agree and try my best not to provoke him and do as I was told. I mean, it was all my fault in the end right? I was boring, good-for-nothing, not sexy at all and it was a miracle someone like Paul even turned to look at me.’ you simply shrug.

‘Paul’s a dick and you deserved better.’ Demetri’s voice is laced with anger.

‘Tell that to me back then.’ You sigh ‘Everything went from bad to worse, until I realized he was cheating on me with a cheerleader. That was my wake up call. One night he was away, I started packing my things and prepared to leave, but he came back before I was off that damn door. Boyyyy, that was a fight for the centuries. Everybody could hear us loud and clear; of course he denied cheating on me and degraded me enough to feel he was right and I was wrong, but I was having none of his shit. He couldn’t understand why I was leaving and asked me if it was for another man; in a tremendous brain fart and a need to spite him, I said yes.’

Swallowing hard, you discover it was easier for you to finally share the whole story out loud. Demetri listened calmly and didn’t interrupt and you felt like a true weight was lifted off your chest.

‘I never really felt the first punch; it came so quickly from the side that one moment I was standing and the next I was on the floor screaming. Did feel the next round of kicks in the gut though… and the smacking of my head against the wall. All I remember clearly was the screaming… so much screaming. I blacked out when he threw me on the glass coffee table; which gave me the scars you saw on my back. When I woke up, I was in the hospital and he was crying on my side telling the doctors how a burglar had gotten to me; none of the neighbors did anything. As soon as I was able to stand on my feet, I bolted out of the hospital and hid away. Contacted my family but they didn’t believe me. Told me that Paul said I was on a shock. So I hid inside the city, dropped out of college and never saw him again. My family got angry, saying Paul was inconsolable and cried asking me back and I should go back because he truly loved me. Only my brothers believed me, told me not to come back home because he’d know. They send me money from time to time so I can pay the rent…’

As you narrated everything that happened to you, Demetri finished entirely with patching you up. When he was sure you were comfortable and not in pain in any way, he helped you lie down on the sofa and went off to cook you something light to eat. He came back with a trahana soup, which he claimed was a traditional Greek comfort soup and the only thing your stomach could really process right now. Thanking him, you gratefully ate up the whole thing and allowed him to help you lie down on his sturdy chest as both of you tried to relax and let this nightmarish day pass. Your heart felt utterly warm and content to be back within his warm hug and before you even knew it, you fell asleep on him, clutching his shirt for dear life, covered by a thick blanket and with his hand rubbing relaxing circles on your back.

‘You’ll be alright _____, no one can hurt you now. I’ve got you. I love you.’

Was the last thing you heard him whisper in your hair before sleep surrounded you.

**~ * ~ * ~**

The next day you were both awakened by a constant ringing on the door. Terrified of another possible visit by Paul, you begged Demetri not to answer, but the man reassured you he knew who was ringing. So he opened the door to reveal a policeman who was actually Dwayne Johnson no2 and listened to the name Felix. Apparently, he was Demetri’s best friend and came over after Demetri texted him what had taken place yesterday with you and Paul; in fact, after you fell asleep Demetri notified him but the surprising thing was that they already knew everything. When Paul finally caught up with you and beat you up on that dark park yesterday, a few teenagers happened to pass by and recorded everything with their phones, uploading the video on every single media platform they knew. The video went viral and the police was notified and eventually arrested Paul who confessed everything. He was immediately charged with assault, kicked out of his team with a public announcement and now the police was opening the case to charge him with domestic violence as well, while the media were tearing him apart piece by piece. Felix was actually there to plead with you to testify against Paul in the court of Law, which you accepted without a second thought.

In the few months that followed, you had to relive the nightmare days next to Paul in great detail –while the media were hot on your tracks– but Demetri was right beside you to give you strength. Eventually you were vindicated when he was condemned to go to prison for five years and the court issued a restraining order to stay away from you and your family for his entire life and pay you a good sum for all the damage he had caused you. To say you felt justice was served righteously was the understatement of the century; you’re actually beyond yourself with happiness.

When everything settled, both you and Demetri had a fresh start. Moving to England so Demetri could work in his family’s hospital as a head paramedic and you to attend a pretty prestigious university to finally make your dream of becoming (f/p) come true, both of you finally settled together in a place you could call home and where you could actually build the rest of your lives in sturdy grounds. It was only four years later that you returned to La Push; a heavy diamond ring decorated your finger and a certain date was set for the both of you to become one, with Jasper and Alice as your best man and maid of honor. It was the first time you saw both Embry and Jacob cry when they saw you back home, smiling and holding a very happy Demetri by the hand. Your parents finally apologized and accepted Demetri as their own son.

It was only nine months later that both you and Demetri discovered there’s even a greater happiness than the one you’re already experiencing.

Her name?

Gianna.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thought it sweet to name their daughter Gianna as a reference to the character in the main story tbh :'3 I hope you liked it darlings! ^^ Which one would you like to read next: yandere!pirate!Demetri!X!Merchant!Reader or an !ArrangedMarriage!-AU? Lemme know in the comments and story with most votes both here and on Wattpad & Quotev wins :3
> 
> Songs:
> 
> P!nk - Just Give Me A Reason  
Muse - Undisclosed Desires  
My Chemical Romance - Sleep


	40. Chapter 36 End Of Innocence

As cloudy as the sky might be, the warmth of a humid summer was enough to inflame your skin even from the chilly comfort of Carlisle’s study room.

Raising your hand, the glass of the ceiling-to-floor window still lingered with chilliness under your fingertips and you sighed contently, watching the vampires in the garden making their way with placing the wedding decorations in their respective places. Everyone was on high alert for the upcoming wedding and the fact it was only a week from now, filled you with a sweet sorrow and a smile to match. Soon, you’d be leaving your life in Forks once and for all and you’d formally join the Volturi. Not that you haven’t over the span of the last six months -which felt more like an eternity rather than 180+ days. Everything had changed and you had changed along with them.

At first you hated it with a burning passion bright enough to fuel many suns, but now, looking over things, you’re feeling more you than ever; something was always missing from your previous life, the life of ____ _____ high-school student of Forks High and Bella’s best friend, a Quileute as much as the rest of the tribe despite the obvious differences. Hot headed and quick-witted, you were a 17-year-old ready to face the world head on.

Yet, you are no longer that girl.

Now you are _____, aged 18, an air Distorter -the last of your kind- and official member of the Volturi Guard, under Aro’s direct command. You are Demetri’s mate. You are the White Guard, which is snarky, merciless and cocky, who has seen more of the raw reality of the world from what she would like to. Now your life is running on fumes and you are eating away at it the more you are using your powers. No past accompanies you and you are a human nobody in a sea of power-thirsty vampires.

Averting your gaze from the Cullen family continuing on with their lives like nothing is amiss, your bare feet wander around the massive medical room, which feels oddly cold and reassuring.

Once, you found yourself a bit intimidated by the tomes and tomes of books lining the few walls till they reached the ceiling, old as time itself and just as fragile. It was the first days you had passed in here, merely looking at them as you were stranded on the therapy bed adorning the middle of the room, freshly woken up from the coma James had thrown you into. It had been weeks; your father was by your side along with Carlisle, who rushed to make sure you were alright. What a true wonder it was for you to wake up and what a torture the next few days had been; if you had to describe it somehow, you would say it was the same pain you had when Caius tortured you in Voltera’s dungeons. But no matter how good of a doctor Carlisle is, he didn’t compare to the whole team you had back in Volterra.

The moment you had felt strong enough to stand on your own two feet, you passed time by reading some of the books, feeling the walls closing in on you and desperately wanting an escape. Rose was by your side most of the time, keeping you company, but the few moments of solitude were stifling enough to urge you to move. So, you read, read a few books that appeared younger and less fragile, some of them being the first copies of Bukowski or Dostoevsky and surprisingly a good amount of them were poems by a man named Constantine P. Cavafy from Alexandria.

Right at this moment, the tomes feel old and heavy with history as you run your unafraid hand over their covers; they felt sturdy and almost whispered their secrets to your delicate fingertips, a part of history yourself, just like them, only alive and breathing… For now… A few along the way were actually written by the head of the Cullen coven himself: mostly medical, a few anthropological about various civilizations and tribes across the whole wide world and surprisingly, a small one about someone named Zagreus. A pomegranate accompanied the name as well.

‘He allegedly was the first vampire.’ A voice comes out of nowhere and you withdraw your hand with a start, turning on your heel hastily just in time to see the head of the Cullen clan walk casually inside his study room ‘He was a Greek, born and raised in the Underworld realm of Hades himself. All vampires consider even uttering his name quite the bad luck.’

Carlisle always inspired a certain degree of awe wherever he went; his dashing looks and the kind aura accompanying his very being were enough to instil calmness and security even to the most frantic people. His kind, forever golden eyes and the reassuring smile that always appeared a bit sad around the edges were able to have anyone trust him within seconds and for a good cause as well.

He casually walks towards his desk, with you scurrying to withdraw your hand from the books and pry no longer by shoving it in your pocket, before you plop yourself on the medical bed, allowing your feet to gently hover over the floor before you move them back and forth like a child.

‘Sorry about that.’ You genuinely say and allow your shoulders to relax as you regard him gathering his medical instruments, surprisingly not using his vampire speed; it felt normal in a weird kind of way, but you were grateful to him for providing even a few moments of normality. He gathers his stuff as usual, walking hastily to rest them on the side of the bed you weren’t occupying; it was your usual procedure for the past weeks and likewise, you started unfastening your clothes to ease the process for the both of you.

‘You have always been a curious nature _____; it is one of the qualities I most admire about you. So, you have nothing to fear in my house.’ He looks up from his tray to grace you with a dazzling smile that lights up his eyes even more and you find yourself returning it in earnest ‘How have you been this past few days?’

Honestly speaking, the past two weeks that followed the incident with Billy and Cook had passed in utter calmness and quietness, interrupted every now and then with the occasional visit to Carlisle under Demetri’s calm but stern word to keep a close eye to your health. Frequent visits to the Cullen residence surely had eased the tension between them and the Volturi Guard, enough to carry a casual conversation without the worry of using the information to anyone’s advantage. It was… a progress that brought happiness in your life, seeing them at least getting along and not fighting anymore, despite the fact of you knowing they were struggling with it themselves. Humans are easy to change their ways and see reason most of the times, but for ancient beings that have become accustomed to a certain way of life through the millennia, it was certainly a challenge. Yet Emmett and Demetri got along, frequently challenging one another in good nature and bonding over male-who-has-the-biggest-dick-energy-time, while the Casanova surprisingly got along with Jasper as well.

It was a surprise.

For them as well.

But with a little bit of nudging, they stopped being tsunedere’s and accepted the fact they liked one another.

Still, it was these past few weeks with him that truly allowed your heart to finally be enveloped with happiness and calmness, letting go of the pain you had experienced in such a small amount of time.

Honestly speaking, when Rose had told you that her and Emmett couldn’t keep their hands to themselves the first few years they were together you had laughed and rolled your eyes, but boi oh boi did your words come back to bite you in the ass……along with other bite marks if you catch my drift. Well, not that you complained at any point, but Alice had pretty much death-threatened you that if you were to get another bruise on your body and ruin how you’ll look in a backless dress, she was personally going to lock you up in her basement away from the Casanova Guard. She was right of course, because your once (s/c) skin was laced with various, lots, hundreds of bruises were Demetri’s hands had caressed your body a bit rougher than he should, all of them in various states of healing. But I mean, who can say no to the Casanova lounging around the house with perfectly tousled hair and nothing but a pair of sweatpants on? Of course you can control yourself, but indulging is more fun! You swear you passed out a couple of times…… you did, didn’t you? Because all you can remember is not going to sleep but waking up to a very, very concerned and almost frantic Demetri.

Maybe it was because you barely got any sleep and he didn’t lose any of his energy…

Oh well…

Letting the jokes aside though, these weeks were almost dream-like to your mind, filled with love and calmness and Demetri. After being called out like that by the Quileute, there was absolutely no way for you to go out in town again for anything other than the necessities and Demetri, seeing your distress, would rather eat his own severed limbs than force you to anything that would jeopardize your well-being. Instead, he passed all the time with you; going for long walks in the woods behind your house, swimming on a nearby lake, reading books while lying on the sofa together or visiting the Cullens, your life pretty much felt like you were newlyweds enjoying your honeymoon. Pampered and loved beyond any boundary, life felt complete with Demetri by your side and you were actually able to forgive yourself for everything that happened with Embry; yes it was a fucked up move to kiss him and lead him on, but you were truthful with him in the end and he’ll see that in the long run. It still hurt a bit, but you’re so much tired of feeling guilty and worrying and putting yourself down. From what you have heard from a few phone calls with Jacob, he had returned back to La Push and he was doing better.

It was enough for you. You did what you thought was best and now you can acknowledge your wrongs for future reference; you also were tired of feeling sad all the goddamn time.

It was time to move on.

Of course, you weren’t naïve enough to believe despite you and Demetri taking some vacations to yourselves, missions were not pilling up back in Volterra, but the occasional phone call from Felix and Alec only served to reassure you everything was under control. It was as clear as the moonlight sky that Aro still wanted to you stay in Forks until at least the wedding to make sure the rules are not broken, and Bella would turn into a vampire. Something that the Cullens were furiously preparing for, knowing the Volturi weren’t to be messed with a second time; not when two of their Guards were in their house.

The only thing that remained to cast an ominous shadow over your lives, was the matter with your health.

‘Pampered to death by Demetri’ you simply shrug at Carlisle’s question ‘I feel a bit better, but he treats me like porcelain, while Alice is getting impatient with my part of the preparations.’ You say, coughing a little bit as he helps you out of your blouse and pulls the stethoscope.

Smiling, he nods ‘Alice can be too absorbed in what she is doing. As for you, preparations can wait as you tend to your health.’ He places the stethoscope and you breathe in and out ‘Any more blood? Discomfort? Coughing?’

‘A bit of coughing. Very little blood. No powers though, just as I promised.’

‘No need to use them; you are perfectly safe here.’ He nods ‘Demetri is also taking good care of you.’

Nodding, you can’t help the accelerated heartbeat and the doctor hums to himself at the sound.

‘Who would have thought I would fall for the Volturdoggie right? Damn that Casanova, he surely is persistent.’ You roll your eyes in exasperation, but for once, there is no hint of irony hidden in your words ‘I’ve never met a man like him; steadfast and humorous, generous and chivalrous, and excited about the little things. He is fascinated with people and he was fascinated with me; he didn’t turn away or brush me off when I lashed out at him. So curious, so humane… He notices what I don’t; I cannot hide from him. He just sees who I truly am and never looks away…’ you shrug.

Both of you knew very well he had won that battle and you had surrendered yourself to a great opponent nonetheless; it was a good battle.

‘Demetri always was a man of focus.’ Carlisle mutters, more to himself than to you ‘In the years I was with the Volturi, I was saddened to see his way of lifestyle. But all these appear to be in the past for him. He becomes a better man when he is around you and in turn, you are truly showing your full potential beside him. You are no longer afraid of the world and the wrong it can give you ______; you, who has seen so many sorrows in just a fraction of a lifetime. Happiness is something that I always wished for you, even under these circumstances that aren’t so…ideal.’

It would be rather naïve of you not to catch the subtle jab at the Volturi altogether.

In response, you shake your head and wave your legs underneath you nonchalantly ‘If you told me a year before that all this would go down, I’d have called you a madman. Yet here I am, a human among the Volturi Guard, with the Head of the Guard by my side.’ You smile a small smile ‘A sheep among the wolves.’

‘The Palace is not the ideal place to be; lots of power-hungry vampires look for a way up the ladder. Aro knows your potential to serve him are great, a power source walking and breathing. He is extremely careful, but others are not looking at your rise with an eye just as kind.’ Carlisle warns and his golden eyes turn a shade darker ‘Even with Demetri by your side, you should be careful. Tread lightly and say no more than necessary.’

You wryly smile ‘Few of them have already tried.’

‘They will continue rest assured of that; even with Demetri and Felix by your side, you are not immune. I hear Caius is still sore with having you prowl around freely and Aro would much rather force a choice over you and consequences about your soul be gone.’ Carlisle nods solemnly as he proceeds with the check-up, tracing your ribs with his fingertips, as you raise an eyebrow to him.

‘He’ll try to turn me, won’t he?’

He hums ‘Of course he will. I am currently wondering how much of a choice you will have on the matter. If it comes down to Aro’s hand, he will not hesitate. But is the loss of your soul a price you are willing to pay?’

‘My soul won’t be up for grabs, rest assured.’ You bite out.

‘Minds tend to change when they are presented with the whole kaleidoscope of the true instances of a life. It will come down to you though, sooner than both you and I would prefer. I do hope that you choose wisely. A soul is a great price to pay, remember that.’

There is something in the way he says it, that sends a shiver down your spine that has nothing to do with the coldness of his study room; gently, you remove your hand from his own and he allows it, watching with a saddened expression as you lean back and stare at him in disbelief. Realization dawns at you like the bright sun over the city of Volterra.

‘The results from the lab are out, aren’t they?’ you raise an eyebrow, almost accusingly, staring into golden orbs and fair skin ‘How bad is it?’

Carlisle suddenly appears as old as he truly is; shoving his hand in his pocket, he withdraws a literal pile of papers and holds them in front of him. He’s not looking at them; no, his sad eyes and the frown are only diverted to you as he tries over and over again in his mind to find the correct way to break the news to you.

Is it that bad?

‘My dear ______.’ He breathes ‘As a Distorter, your powers fuel your body but in return, are fuelled by your life-force. The more you use them, the more they eat away from your life and your organs begin to fail. As the results show, your lungs are starting to collapse on themselves and your kidneys are suffering from end-stage kidney failure. It is vital you are placed in dialysis right away. We can look for a donor of course, it will not b-‘

‘How long?’ you interrupt him. Voice sounds alien even to you.

‘A year if you don’t start dialysis. Five if you do.’ He breathes ‘In the meantime, finding a donor won’t be hard.’ He resumes his previous sentence, but you raise a hand to stop him, struggling to fathom the words as they reverberate in the empty valleys of your mind.

Silence descends her thick veil and the room falls out of focus as you dive deep into your mind.

A year.

You have a whole year left to live- even less if you continue using your powers.

There is a different kind of feeling when you realise you are dying. In the back of your mind, you can hear a part of you screaming bloody murder; it is struggling, biting, fighting and screaming, denying the truth hanging right in front of their eyes with a stern dedication only a survivor has. Angry, broken, crying, praying. For the first time in your entire life, you are praying to some Almighty god to hear you and spare you. You cannot die, you will not die, there is absolutely no way for you to die. You are only eighteen years of age, you have just seen the world, there are still so many places to see, so many people to meet, so many nights and days you want to share with the love of your life that you just now have discovered. It is only now that you have experienced true love in the hands of a man who can kill you but moves oh so instinctively in front of you to protect you from any kind of harm. Treating you like a queen, like a soul that can bring people to tears. How can you tell him that he is about to lose you? How are you to come in terms that the moment you have found true happiness, you are to walk down a darkness all creatures must one day face? Why so early? It is too early!

It is not fair! You have been enslaved and abused and broken and left all alone, yet now life comes to reap away whatever was left on your shaking hands? You will not be having it! Screw you, Life! Screw the universe, screw Fate, damned all those that make the choices for our lives without us being there. How can you leave? How can you go up and die when you have just found a will to live? How can you leave so much behind when there are just offering you all that is good and worth living for?

A part of you is crying. Mourning. For the loss of precious time stolen more and more out of your hands.

Yet there is another part, the most dominant one, that is completely numb from the revelation. It had been expecting it in some short of way; there is only so much luck one can have and so many opportunities to spare her life. In a way, it must be divine punishment; you have killed so many souls, mercilessly ending the lives of hundreds of vampires that were people just as everyone else. Their faces are suddenly all flashing before your eyes, agonised by fear or accepting the fact the end is here; men and women just as beautiful as Death and Life itself, shining like gems among the darkness of your mind. It is fair for you to die. Above all, you see the face of the vampire you had firstly killed, Alastair, who was punished for loving a mortal. His eyes are still plaguing your dreams. Likewise, you are punished for loving an immortal. It was divine punishment you could no longer avoid; the toll is being handed to you and there is no way around it. No matter how much you love Demetri, no matter how much you cry and find this unfair, the reasonable part of you can see that there is only one way out of here and you will not jeopardise your soul and the possibility of meeting with your loved ones in the Afterlife. He will understand; maybe not at first, but eventually he will.

He managed to live both with and without you. He’ll just have to do it again.

You were just so terribly sorry.

Looking up, you find Carlisle looking expectantly at you, waiting for the news to settle; all you can give him is calm acceptance and a curt nod of your head.

‘Don’t say anything to Demetri. I’ll tell him when it’s time.’ You swallow hard ‘I love him with all my soul, but I won’t lose the last thing I have. I hope he’ll hate me for this.’

Carlisle’s eyebrows furrow over his golden eyes and for the first time since you’ve met him, he seems deeply concerned and sad ‘I do not believe this is fair to him. But in the end, the decision is yours and yours alone. Do not lose hope yet, my dear _____, I think there might be someone of my kind that can help…’

_ **~ ~ ~ * * * ~ ~ ~** _

Inhaling deeply, you savour the sound of aethereal notes reaching your ears from somewhere in the house. Eyes closed, mind released from any tedious thoughts, you allow your senses to take in the lovely playful sounds of the piano as your muscles relax from the tension of the day. Inhaling, you notice the heavy scent of the lily extract hanging from the air, mixed with white linen and lilac; the warm humidity kissed your skin delicately, almost healing the various bruises littering it and giving you the opportunity to inhale deeply, despite the small tinge of pain colouring the edges of your breath. Surely, that was what Carlisle meant by your lungs collapsing…

Still, this is not a time to think about these things.

Now, as you relax inside the vast expanse of your bathtub surrounded by ambient sounds, it is only you and the nimble hands of Demetri skilfully working on the hardened muscles of your back. He is so careful and gentle, working his soft touch over your pained muscles like the wintery breeze through a barren land, easing the pain away and making you shiver almost wildly, both by the tension leaving you and his touch that almost seems to burn you with a different kind of flame. Don’t get me wrong here, you are kind of surprised he is managing to massage you without mauling you to death with his vampire touch, which must be feather-like for him yet just hard enough for you; he had done this a million times in the past, he assured you. No, there were no accidents…. most of the time at least. If he hurt you, you’d tell him, right? Yet his wintery touch is ever-light and the contrast of the burning water with his icy cold body is tantalizingly relaxing; you needed the warmth for your body, yet the ice felt more reassuring and less foreign to your senses.

‘The little Cullen conveniently advised me there is a meteor shower tonight…’

Husky, bell-like voice still manages to send a wild shiver down your spine -or it could just be his electrifying touch- and your heart skips a beat, which he picks up immediately as always. Cold hands wrap around your soft skin and you are pulled back into a cold embrace which felt like home. The movement sends small waves through the bathtub, only for the water to overflow and drip on the floor; you hear it more than you see it, since the moment your (E/c) orbs open, you are greeted by a sea of frost-brown hair as he plants a delicate kiss in the nape of your neck. He hums contently and the low vibration echoes deep into your heart as you realise, you’ll never get enough of this man, not in a month, not in a year, not ever. How can you leave him alone when you die?

No….

He knows you….

He will understand….

‘If this is how you’re asking me out, try again Casanova.’ You chuckle merrily, voice playful and clear over the sound of the piano playing in the distance ‘I thought you’re good at this.’

‘Should I perhaps bribe you with wine and chocolate? Smack your beautiful ass and sweep you off your feet?’ he murmurs laughing lowly, resting his chin on the top of your head. No matter how warm the water was, it did nothing to warm his dead skin even for a fraction… Still, you’d never prefer it any other way…

‘Or maybe wear nothing but a red bow…’ you shrug and raise your eyebrows with mischief; not that his watchful gaze could see it.

‘Now who is the insufferable flirt? Stealing my tricks?’

Pulling your hand off the water, you reach up to dip it into his perfectly tousled hair. He shudders in the touch and it was not due to the difference in temperature.

‘Bad company I keep hm?’ you kiss his cheek and watch as his rich burgundy eyes light up as they turn towards you.

‘Could not agree more.’ He raises a perfect eyebrow ‘Maybe I should punish you for being disobedient.’ He comments and dipping his head once again, you feel his teeth grazing the mark in your neck were his mark will forever be embedded.

‘N-not so close to the wedding, but I’ll hold you to that.’ Your voice catches and a low chuckle rumbles through his chest before he kisses your skin yet again and leans back, exhaling deeply as his hold tightens more ‘Still have to arrange how the guests will sit, make sure the kettering will arrive on time and that no surprises happen. I swear to god; Alice is giving me a body scan for more bruises every time she sees me…’

‘If you need help, all you have to do is ask.’ He says decisively but you nod.

‘It’s alright, it’s the least I can do for them. Who knows when I’ll get to see them again right?’

There is a small pause ‘Have you changed your mind in wanting to leave?’

‘No. Not at all.’ You admit and surprisingly, your voice is steady ‘I can’t wait to go back. Felix said they’re preparing another party back in Volterra and Alec has discovered video games. So, you can only imagine what is waiting for me.’

A sigh and a kiss on your cheek send another shiver down your spine ‘Hmmm, Felix called you and not me?’

‘Oh, shut up, your boyfriend is still there waiting.’ You chuckle.

‘Maybe I should elope with him, since you are giving me the cold shoulder.’

‘Please do; I’ll have more time to play Assassins Creed with Alec.’

Another low, amused chuckle ‘Does Jane know about this?’ he challenges.

‘Nope; she’s too busy running after Caius as usual.’ You laugh and lean your head back to rest right under his chin.

Another long pause, and the song playing from the bedroom changes to one of your favorite lullabies. Without controlling it, your eyelids feel heavy and your breathing is deep and rhythmical, eased even more by the way Demetri’s thumbs caress your sides absentmindedly, as the vampire falls deep into thought. For the first time in a long while -despite the awful news that keep coming your way-, you feel calm and serene. Demetri’s presence and touch is enough to drown down everything and anything around you, filling your mind with only his presence and the moment you are sharing together, your back pressed firmly against his chest; it is a feeling that floods you with a kaleidoscope of emotions, cherished, loved and protected being the words to describe them right off the top of your head. If you had to choose, you’d stay right here for the rest of eternity and you’ll bet he wouldn’t object in the slightest.

‘Aro called. We are to leave right after the wedding.’

Of course, the dream would have an ending. Opening your eyes yet again, you stare as the lazy circles of foam forming on the milky coloured surface of the water and without realizing it, your let out a small chuckle yourself, reverberating on the close walls of the bathroom. Part of you wanted to leave -hell, you’d have left the moment you found out about your father- but another was scared that you’d feel disappointed once it truly was time to leave. Surprisingly, it only felt right.

Turning your head toward your handsome mate, your (e/c) orbs come to rest of perfectly chiselled features and worry-painted wine-red eyes, looking at you carefully, waiting to discover a hint of sadness within your eyes. His eyebrows are a bit furrowed and his perfect lips are tugged down just a tad around the edges. His worry sets something off inside your heart and you scoot closer to him, cupping his face with your hands and gracing his lips with a lazy kiss. To chase the worry away, to make him realise that as long as you are together -for whatever time you have left- you do not want to spend a single moment without him. No matter where you are. At first the kiss is cautious; his lips remain unmoving for a single fraction of a second, before Demetri sighs and eventually melts under your hands, lips half-opening and kiss deepening. Hands wrap around your waist, pulling you a bit harshly against him, grounding you into his lethal embrace which could kill you oh so easy, yet holds you with such an extreme care, as if you were the most delicate piece of art one had ever seen.

‘It’s alright Demetri.’ You whisper as you part from him, knowing that if this keeps up, there’ll be no room to do anything but indulge in him ‘I’ m alright. What did he say?’

He sighs deeply and passes a hand over his face, before he directs it into his hair, turning them into a bigger mess than they already are; his lips are tightened in a thin line and for a single moment you swear you see a flash of anger passing through his eyes; it’s gone before you have the chance to address it, making you think that you might have imagined it.

When he eventually speaks, his discomfort obvious in the smoky hue ‘In a week from now, there will be a great festival taking place in Alexandria, Egypt, for one week. The Wag and Thoth festival. It so happens to mark the time for the Gathering of the Egyptian Vampire Clans; the six leaders of the Covens will meet to discuss territorial issues among other things and Aro wants us to be the representatives for the Volturi. It happens every one hundred years and usually it’s Chelsea and Aro that attend. This time, it falls on us.’ He says evenly and stares right into your eyes ‘Aro says there’s a vampire there that can aid with your health issues as well.’

Hmmm, this thing reeks of Carlisle, but you cannot say anything without revealing everything to Demetri.

Instead, you lean back ‘And it bugs you why exactly?’

His eyes are for the first time, as cold as ice and instinctively, you reel back a bit.

‘The Volturi reign has not fallen well with all the vampires in the world. Especially after they defeated the Romanians and turned towards the Egyptians, whoever survived does not look upon the Volturi with favourable eye; a lot of them still dream of defeating and annihilating them the first chance they get, with the slightest of slips. Now, among them happens to be the vampire that turned me, Amun, leader of the Nile coven; he is as power-thirsty as Aro and bitter that my allegiance shifted. We will have to be watchful of him. Mio amore, do not treat this lightly; these vampires are far more ancient and dangerous than they look. Aro advices extreme caution but for us to go there, you will have to swear to me never to leave my side.’ He declares calmly, but you know him way too well by now to understand the urgent tones painting the scene under his tone.

He is worried; and a worried Demetri should have you panicking.

It was something extremely rare and the few instances you had seen it for yourself, it ended up badly for the both of you.

Oh boi…

Swallowing hard, you nod reassuringly ‘Alright, as long as it calms you, I’ll do it. But I won’t hesitate to smite them if push comes to shove. We fought way more vampires to be intimidated by a bunch of old geezers.’

In your words, his worry seems to lift a little bit from his features, and he gives you an easy sly grin ‘I would love to see you have them for breakfast.’

‘With eggs and ketchup.’ You wink ‘Been a while since the last time I had vampire hamburger for lunch and my Guard senses are crackalacking.’

He laughs and the increasingly heavy sense of dread falling over you like a thick cloud seems to lift almost completely, as the both of you decide to forget about duties and murderous vampires for now and instead focus on rinsing one another. Demetri gets out of the bathtub and in all his naked glory instructs you to get ready and meet him in the backyard; the meteor shower will be starting in a little bit and he didn’t want you to miss it for anything. Yes, your human senses wouldn’t be enough to see it in all its glory, but you can at least pretend you’re not completely blind; in that you threw a shampoo at him, which of course he avoided with extreme ease as if you threw a paper plane at him, before walking out in the speed of light and leaving you to your thoughts.

Pressing your lips into a thin line in dismay, you rise from the lukewarm water and grab a nearby towel; this new mission surely seemed sketchy if anything else, but it may as well be a cover up for you visiting that said man that can help with the deterioration of your health. Honestly, if you could win a few months more to live, you’re really willing to try anything. Death is the only god that comes when you call, and you are not ready to call him just yet. You cannot leave Demetri alone just yet; you need more time to at least give him a few more months of togetherness and memories that will last when you are gone.

So, you push everything down and roll your shoulders out as you walk in the bedroom and let the towel drop from around you; the windows were open, allowing the warm breeze of the summer night roll into the small space, filling the still air with the rich aroma of humidity and earth. Somewhere in the far distance the cicadas are singing hidden in the protection of the flora. In the night, the whole forest comes alive and what a perfect way to celebrate life than pass it with the man you love, letting go of your problems for one single night; they’re still going to be there when you wake up in the morning. Another battle to be won, another stand you must take. But for now, it is only this moment for you. A breath. Then another.

Right now, you are still alive.

As your feet touch the floor, you can actually feel the warmth radiating off the wood, as you open the wardrobe and fish out a nice pair of silk pyjamas; slipping them on, you messily comb your hair with your hands and walk downstairs, never bothering to turn on any lights and following the soft breeze coming from the open patio window, overlooking the garden.

There is no moon tonight, so when you actually walk into the veranda, the starry sky above you is illuminated by millions and millions of far-away suns and planets blooming in intricate patterns only a few can decipher; an owl is hooting in the distance and the grass feels cold under your bare feet. Inhaling, you feel all the tension leave your muscles and your eyes close for one single moment. When you open them again, there is nothing around you other than Demetri beckoning towards the spot in the middle of the small field behind your house, sharp characteristics appearing divine under the starlight; his hand is outstretched and your heart leaps in your chest. As always, his velvet and pristine skin feels cold under your scorching hand, yet you’d never have it any other way. Leading you towards the spot he has prepared, you can see a huge actual mattress thrown onto the lawn, decorated with various blankets and pillows to make it warm for you; a nice red wine and a glass await you and by now there is no way to hold back your smile.

You are moved; to be spoiled like that is the best feeling in the world.

To feel cherished and protected.

To feel loved.

To feel at home and at peace.

‘Going all out I see?’ mirth floods your eyes and you chuckle as he pulls you gently -yet decisively- towards him, burgundy eyes almost luminescent in the darkness and lips searching your own like a man starved. The kiss you share is slow yet contains all the emotions both of you have for one another.

He’s smiling when you break apart ‘Only the very best for my human.’

With a steady hand in the small of your waist, he leads you to the mattress, where you unceremoniously plop down, erupting into a fit of giggles as you bounce a bit on it. All you feel is a small breeze and he’s right beside you in an instant, cold but sturdy hand pulling you against his chiselled chest and you rest your head where his heart lies unmoving for many centuries now. It is endearing in the very least, with the steady rise and fall of his chest as he breathes and his hand snaking around your waist to pull you protectively on his side as you both gaze lazily towards the magnificent sky above your heads. The music of the night is soft and the light breeze is refreshing and you find yourself wishing to stay like this forever.

‘So, we’ll leave for Egypt huh?’ you mumble lazily ‘I wonder if the sky looks exactly like that…’

He hums, chest echoing with the light buzzing that is almost like a purr ‘It is. Though the stars seem to almost touch the horizon above the cooling sand. The constellations will be more visible for your human eyes, while for me, I will almost see the Milky Way clearly…’

Raising your head to look upon his majestic face, you notice he’s deep into thought as he raises his free hand towards the sky, tracing intricate patterns you cannot follow. His alabaster skin makes him all more angel-like and your heart leaps inside your chest.

‘You can decipher the constellations?’ you ask in wonder, watching as his lips trace into a small smile.

‘From my human days.’ He replies ‘Orion and his belt’ he points towards an indistinct group of stars ‘Whenever you see his belt -the three stars that are in line- you must make a wish. Then there is the constellation of the Arrow, Cassiopeia the Vain Queen, the Swan, the Bear and the Lion. And of course, you must always know how to locate Ursa Minor, the constellation that always points North, to find your way home.’

As he speaks, a shooting star flashes across the night sky, shining in a beautiful white glow for a brief moment before disappearing into nothingness in the next, enveloped by the piercing darkness of the universe. Holding your breath, your mind races to place a wish and you are left in wonder. The silence is broken after what seems like forever by Demetri, who exhales deeply and relaxes completely under the weight of our body.

‘When you become a vampire, you’ll be able to see them the same way I do. When that time comes, I shall teach you all about them.’ He chuckles and places a kiss on the top of your head.

‘Do you remember your life as a human Demetri?’

Wrong question.

Under your delicate fingers, Demetri’s body grows completely rigid, as still as a statue, allowing the cold silence to fall among you. He’s not breathing at all and in this moment, he resembles far more of a statue of a Greek God frozen in time, than your lively, ever-flirting man which you have grown to love. Worriedly, you search his face for any trace of discomfort, but his eyes are staring at the sky emotionlessly and his lips have pressed into a thin line. He’s there, but he isn’t at the same time and it scares you. It is not something he does -like ever- and this side of him is rather new and produces more worry within you than you’d like to admit. You have crossed a line, you can tell, but you were genuinely curious and he doesn’t seem to speak about it at all; there was a possibility of not remembering, but by the way he tenses, you can tell he does.

‘You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.’ You rush your words out in one breath, rushing to ease him up and not ruin the perfect moment ‘It’s your decision. I can wait until you’re ready; if you ever will be.’

He listens without reacting at all; he’s just staring up into the vast universe hanging above your heads and for a split second, he looks just as old as his many centuries in this earth are. If you had to guess, you can practically hear his mind racing to produce any answer to word his thoughts to you, a fierce battle going on behind the liquid sanguine of his eyes, alas you have no way to see which is the winning side.

His lips part and you hold your breath as he inhales.

‘I have never spoken to anyone about my past.’ His voice is calm, controlled and cold ‘Everyone thinks I was just a missionary, a tracker for lack of better words, but no one knows more than that. Not even Felix.’

In his sentence, his eyes turn and nail on your petite form, searching your face for something you couldn’t quite pinpoint. He seemed worried; his eyebrows have almost met over his eyes and his lips are drawn into a frown and you can practically hear your heart breaking.

‘You don’t have-‘

‘No, I do.’ He interrupts ‘I have to be honest with you; no more lies. Though, no matter how much I want to share my past with you, I hesitate. I have lost so many things, I am actually glad I can no longer sleep.’

Raising his hand, he delicately and extremely carefully caresses the side of your face; his vampire touch is cold, sending a violent shiver down to your toes and you close your eyes, savouring the feeling for a split second. When you open them again, he is once again studying your face, characteristics returning to their usual pokerface and hiding his true feelings away, deep into a small little box you cannot seem to reach.

‘Anyone I loved, I lost. It is a burden lifted only by you being here; you cannot even begin to comprehend how much I love you, mio amore. If I lose you too, I will go mad.’ He mutters, his voice flooding with honesty and raw hurt, barely above a whisper.

Something suddenly blurs your vision and it takes his gentle thumb wiping a stray tear rolling down your face for you to realise you are crying.

Without a single thought, you hug him for dear life, burying your face in his sturdy chest.

Wishing to the shooting stars above that you’ll get to be here just a little while longer; wish to steal a few more precious seconds.


	41. Chapter 37 In Twilight Hours

‘Emmett, you are not a statue no matter how much you try, smile at people and help them to their seats! And yes Jasper, we already have enough garlands!’ you exclaim pointing at the beautiful white flowers hanging in a nice arc above the whole ceremony space ‘Go and make sure Edward doesn’t need anything.’

‘______, the orchestra is already seated, and the last guests will be here in a bit.’

‘Good Rose, please go upstairs and make sure Bella doesn’t need anything.’ You instruct the golden-haired vampire, before you turn and count the chairs for the millionth time this morning, just to ease your mind that they would be enough.

In the distance, Edward is speaking in hushed tones with Carlisle and Esme, while the orchestra starts to play an uplifting little tune to keep the audience entertained until the ceremony begins. Happy chats and voices echo from all around you, as the wedding guests await patiently for the cue that everything was in place and they were ready to begin. Looking at their familiar faces, from friends from school, to local townspeople and various relatives from both sides, you couldn’t help but wonder about the last time you had seen them. After all these months of unexplained -or at least half-explained- absence didn’t really count when you were surrounded by people that never age, yet now, it was all coming back to you in one go. The last time you had seen Charlie, he had less grey hair; Rene on the other hand -Bella’s mom- had acquired more expression wrinkles that made her look even more stunning. A few of your classmates were there too but aiding to the last details and strictly under Alice’s instructions, you had no time in your disposal to say hello.

Not that it mattered.

Everyone before you, friend or stranger, seemed too far away for your tastes, a world from which you had long ago been shunned from.

Pushing these thoughts from your mind, you take a deep breath and try to keep yourself in check. Intruding as the thoughts were, this was not the time nor place to address them in any way. Instead, you steal a small moment for yourself to really stop and admire the decorations surrounding the entirety of the house and garden, a frail attempt to keep the darkness at bay.

‘We need more champagne.’ You mutter to yourself, huffing.

Alice surely outdid herself this time and you could bet good money Bella had no idea what she had in store for her because if Bella hadn’t freaked out yet with all the wedding negativity she had in her very soul, well, she would definitely flip when she’d see the true magnitude of…. well, pretty much everything.

White blossoms of the various flowers Alice had chosen for the ceremony were suspended in expertly made bowery canopies a few feet above everyone’s heads, dripping next to one another in beautiful lines of gossamer ribbons. Despite the cloudy weather, the light filtered through them in a perfect luminescent brightness, illuminating the ceremony in the same way fairytales spark and come alive right before your eyes; one would expect to see little fairies hanging by the flowers or even a unicorn munching on a nearby bush. Instead, under the beautiful canopies, rested rows and rows of satin-draped chairs, among even more flowers and beautiful ornaments. Petals of pink roses were thrown along the aisle and the orchestra were discreetly positioned on the right, all five people dressed in white dresses and tuxedos. The air filtering through was gentle and refreshing, carrying within it the sweet aroma of lilac and freesias, a combination you utterly enjoyed.

As beautiful as everything was, it remained subtly overwhelming, even to your Volturi-extravagant-decoration used self.

Inhaling deeply once again, you try to relax your stiff muscles and keep your composure for as long as possible. Cursing someone out wouldn’t make good impressions at all… You survived Caius and Jane you are not going to get intimidated by mere humans…

‘There are too many humans gathered in one place if you ask me.’

A smooth, smoky voice comes from behind you and you feel a shiver running wild down your spine before you turn and see Demetri smiling slyly at you, glass of champagne in his right hand as his left slides around the small of your waist. The subtle touch is enough to distil a good amount of calmness and reassurance like a shoot-me-up drug in your veins and taking the untouched glass from his hands, you take a generous yet shaky sip.

‘They must be like moving snacks, am I right?’ you chuckle to yourself, but jump a little when he leans to your ear and whispers, breath grazing your skin like the cold touch of winter.

‘Not at all. My tastes are solely for one of them and I highly doubt she can run too far.’ He chuckles, knowing full well that your heartbeat must have turned into one continuous beat; in response, he only tightens his grip around you ever-so-faintly and too possessively.

If you avoid the heart-attack right now, you’re never getting one. Damn you vampire Casanova!

You swallow thickly ‘With the leash off, I’d not be so sure.’ _ignore the warmth pooling in your stomach _____, people are watching, and you’ll ruin your dress _‘Though the heels won’t help.’

He chuckles darkly and his lips almost graze your earlobe scandalously ‘The leash can surely be arranged…though, under different circumstances.’ He insinuates and you can practically feel your face bursting aflame, earning you a mischievous kiss on the top of your hair before retreating to a distance that would not raise any suspicions. If anyone looked at you right now, they’d probably see a very pleased Demetri and a pissed off you; just normal stuff, nothing to see here.

‘I-uh… well, there are a lot of vampires as well.’ You try desperately to change the subject, failing miserably and earning yourself another little kiss ‘The Denali coven surely isn’t happy to see us.’

Over your head, Demetri raises his head towards the direction you pointed him at, yet when you look up at his purple eyes, you can see the colour darkening like the cloudy sky preparing for the storm. Right in front of your eyes, the soldier mask slips back on and the man straightens his posture to be unyielding like a blade, while his smile turns a bit sinister as he regards the Denali sisters with every bit of the calculating stare. Raising an eyebrow in question, you turn towards the vampires, only to see two of the sisters openly staring at the both of you, their faces stone cold and anger flashing in the eyes of the one with the strawberry blonde curly hair. It never fails your attention the way Demetri tightens his grip around you; pulling you closer to his side, a careful threat in his movements you had seen only a few times before.

When he spoke, his voice was low and cold ‘The Denalis broke one of the few sacred rules of the Volturi. Of course, they were punished for it; which only left a bitter taste in their leader’s mouth.’ He simply shrugs.

Now, you were intrigued ‘What did they do?’

‘Their maker created an immortal child.’ Demetri responds immediately, eyes darkening even more ‘Immortal children are forbidden because they are uncontrollable. For their beauty, they can wipe out entire villages on a good day. You can only imagine what they can do on a bad one, mio amore.’

Honestly, you hadn’t heard too much about Immortal Children, other than snippets of information here and there along with the absolute offense the Volturi took against them. One of the highest accounts of treason against them and none that offended them ever lived to tell the tale. So, you stare at the two beautiful women, thinking that as well deserved as their malice was, what exactly did they think would happen to the offender? The shorter one, the one with the strawberry hair turned to you and her gaze seems to soften when she probably realises you are as much human as Bella and she leans to her companion whispering something, with the blonde haired one nodding negatively.

Scoffing, you turn to Demetri ‘That will teach them not to cross us again.’ Raising your hands, you take it upon yourself to straighten his already straight tie and dust off his shoulders, taking in the sight of your lover with tenderness and utter love. Fingers brushing over his shoulders and unmoving heart with carefulness, feeling your blood boiling in your veins and a smile creep into your face as he smiles genuinely at you, reminding you in a single second all the reasons why you fell for him in the first place ‘Let’s get this over with then. I can’t wait to leave.’

Scooping down, he plants a small kiss on your lips ‘And I to have you all to myself…’ he smiles deviously and winks at you.

Even after so many months right by his side, you found it utterly surreal for your breath to catch itself every single time you looked at him. But it did and due to his hearing, he catches the sound of your heart skipping a beat and the warmth spreading rapidly in your cheeks. He was dressed to perfection yet again for the occasion; his dark grey suit was tailored precisely for his body by the most renowned tailors in Italy, the high quality of the suit obvious from miles away. He had matched it with a white dress shirt and a tie in the colour of the shiny steel, the hue complimenting the rich amethyst of his eyes; it bothered you a little bit that you could not see his luxurious burgundy, but who would want the guests to dash out of the wedding screaming for help? For the occasion, he had slicked his hair back, in casual disarray that made him oh so enticing in your eyes. Right beside him, you looked like a village girl straight out of the fields…

‘How about you take our little gift to the bride ____?’ he says and pulls the all-too-familiar velvet black box out of his pocket, resting it carefully on your waiting hands ‘The ceremony is about to begin and she can use a reminder.’

Small as it was, the box never stops to feel heavy on your hands, the finality with which it was accompanied finally dawning inside your mind. Once the ceremony was over, you would leave and never come back to this place ever again; at least you hoped so, because this gift signified that the Volturi had their eyes trained to Forks and if the Cullens didn’t honour their end of the deal, your next visit would definitely not be a friendly one. Oddly, you searched inside you the emotions to accompany that possibility and you only found a strange cold resolution: in the end of the day, the Cullens were any other vampire clan about to disobey the Law; they would need to be punished if that came to be reality. The strange thing was, that you were alright with that. After everything you did for them, you could see past your emotion and see that no one would -or should- be beyond repercussions.

Letting out a breath you didn’t know you were holding you turn on your heel and venture inside the house. Careful not to step on your dress or sprain an ankle with your high heels, you walk up the stairs and find the girls in the bathroom, happily surrounding a very tired Bella and rushing around to prepare her for the walk of her life. As bizarre as it was to actually see Bella being pampered and prepared expertly like a model, her annoyance and tiredness more than plastered over her face, it was the fact that Rosalie was the one to make sure her hair was perfect; Alice was hurriedly buzzing around them, worried beyond herself about the last minute chores she had to take care of, while Rosalie seemed to provide just the protective bubble of calmness Bella needed not to bolt out of this goddamn door. The blonde vampire was smiling kindly at the human before her, her liquid gold eyes filling with mirth the moment she sensed your presence and turned to grace you with an equally warm smile.

‘Better late than never ______.’

Rosalie was always a frozen breath-taking beauty in everyone’s eyes. What they lacked to see though, was the fact she was also a very warm-hearted person with a cold heart of gold; not everyone got to see it, and you were one of the lucky few, but it made you love her even more.

The responding bright smile you gave her was an easy one, filled with love for the three females inside the room, who were looking at you with the same emotions burning inside them.

‘Always were the one to make a grand entrance.’ You wink ‘Also covering the door so Bella doesn’t make a run for it.’

The betrayed look Bella gives you makes you laugh, while Alice rolls her eyes exasperatedly and Rose smirks.

‘You look beautiful Bells.’ You genuinely compliment, walking beside her and setting the jewellery box right next to her ‘This is a gift from Volterra. Master Aro said that they can arrange something else in case it’s not your style.’ You smile, leaning against the dresser and watching as her chocolate brown eyes fill suddenly with weariness and she carefully reaches out for the box, as if it was about to explode at any given second.

Delicately, as if she’s disarming a bomb, she opens the box to reveal a very ostentatious, thick golden necklace with a huge diamond resting inside a circle of gold at the very bottom. It gleams prettily in the faint light and even if you’re not a vampire, you can pretty much see Bella’s breath getting caught. A heavy shadow seems to fall above your heads and Rosalie and Alice exchange a very weary look you can recognize anywhere; this is but a promise the Volturi are keeping a close eye on Bells, waiting for her to turn into a vampire. Which obviously the Cullens would avoid that kind of situation was it not for the close eye Aro is keeping. Bella though is more terrified about the promise of punishment lingering along with her mortal state. She masks it quite well though, you’ll give her that, her hands reaching for the small card resting peacefully amidst the expensive jewel, reading it out loud.

‘_To the future miss Cullen; we hope to see you soon in Volterra._’

Well, if that’s not a way to kill the mood of the festivities, you had absolutely no idea what would. Aro always seemed to have a knack to do that. Bella promptly returns the card and shuts the box, breaking the spell that had fallen over you all.

Blinking, you address the vampire girls.

‘So, what are we to do when the wedding starts?’ you ask your wedding chief Alice, who recovers first and rushes over the details, counting with her hands.

‘When everyone sits, all three of us will be escorted down the aisle as the bridesmaids and the Maid of Honour. Bella is going to walk in, look amazing with my make-up and the dress I prepared for her, and afterwards we’ll have the party! The Maid of Honour is expected to dance right before we switch to some lighter music.’ She eyes you wearily ‘I know you’re not fond of dancing bu-‘

‘I’ll be alright.’ You wave her off, catching the vampire by surprise for once, making her blink and lean back.

She gives you a curious glare, but it’s Rose that recovers first, eyebrow raised in amusement ‘Volturi taught you how to dance didn’t they?’

Shrugging, you chuckle ‘It’s insane how many times they throw balls. I do wonder how they get things done over there. Also, Demetri has the tendency to cure my two left feet.’

‘Well, better prepare mentally then, because we’ll be right there on the dancefloor with you.’ Alice advices ‘It’s only this night we have to celebrate together before you leave.’

She wasn’t wrong of course; this was the last day you were going to be in Forks, your flight to Egypt being scheduled for right after the party. All the necessary preparations were already made, luggage packed, house secured, and arrangements made for your arrival there. Demetri kept saying again and again things would get dangerous while you were there, but the authority of the Palace was enthralled to have a human Volturi in their home, so probably everything would go smoothly. He also said that Aro had a small surprise for you, but if you judged by experience, Aro’s surprises never ended well for you. Anyway!

‘Better keep up with my killer moves Alice.’ You roll your eyes but smile brightly to the elfish vampire, who only returns it with one of her own, throwing a hand over her heart and faking being wounded with a theatrical ‘woe is me’ that had all of you laughing.

Things pretty much flew by after that, all of you focusing on the last details with Bella’s make-up and what to avoid during the ceremony. With great effort you slithered into a corner and threw yourself on a plush armchair, watching your friends buzzing around Bells, who only grew paler and paler with each passing minute, the more time passed and brought her one step away from the actual wedding. When she was assured Bella was flawless –her true beauty shining over her crystal white, spotless skin, slender body and beautiful warm coloured brown hair- Alice made her stand in order to properly ease the dress over her, without ruining her hair and makeup. Visibly, the human girl was shaking as she was getting buttoned up and positively looked like she was about to vomit at any given second.

‘Deep breaths Bella.’ Alice said, voice smooth and reassuring ‘And try to lower your heart rate. You’ll sweat over everything.’

Sarcasm always complimented Bells ‘I’ll get right on that.’

‘I have to get dressed now.’ She says and looks at you ‘_____ can you hold her together for two minutes?’

Nodding vigorously, you say ‘Yes, I got this. Go become a goddess and we’ll wait here.’

It was all the little vampire needed as assurance and before both humans in the room knew it, she was gone with a small wind following behind her; both her and Rose had to get prepared, which left only you and Bella alone for just a few moments. The moment it was just the two of you, Bella sighs deeply and rests her hands on her hips, trying as much as she could to compose herself.

‘You look absolutely stunning Bells.’

In your compliment, she chuckles and looks at you wearily ‘Thanks _____. I hope I don’t break anything with these high-heels…’

‘You and me both.’ You say, ‘We’re going to be alright.’

As a simple sentence as it was, it made peace settle within your hearts like a strange veil falling over your heart. Bella takes a seat in her own armchair, making sure nothing is crinkled or broken in the process and you scoot your own seat closer to her, reaching out and taking her trembling hands in your own. The warm touch felt strange and bizarre, but it was not unwelcoming as the scorching heat of the werewolves.

‘This is it huh? You’re going to be Mrs Edward Cullen in a few hours.’

She shakes her head ‘The only thing I asked of him, was to turn me. This was his only request, but I guess it was inevitable. I only want to spend the rest of eternity with him. You get me, don’t you?’ she looks at you with her big, doe-like brown eyes.

Of course, you knew what she meant; you were not stupid in the least and above everyone else, you knew how precious moments with your other half were, even though being turned into a vampire was abhorrent to you. Knowing you were going to die in a little more than two or three months and consequently leaving Demetri alone once again, after a whole one thousand and one hundred years was something that simply did not sit well with you. Every time you looked at his wine red eyes, every time your heart skipped at his touches or his dazzling smile, every time he embraced you at night, the haunting thought that you were leaving him alone once again was there to taint all the happiness you felt. He didn’t know; you had said nothing of your kidney failure and your lungs collapsing to him, hoping that a miracle would happen to buy you some time more.

Alas, the cure you knew they were offering you was too much for you to agree to. Turning into a vampire, surrendering your soul to the darkness and letting go of the opportunity to meet with your dad in the Afterlife was too much for you. The smiling man would be waiting for you at the Gates, he would once again welcome you home and keep you safe, where pain and sadness could no longer reach you; you missed him, you missed him terribly enough to still be crying every time Demetri left the house to go hunting, not daring to let the tears fall when he was around since you didn’t want to sadden him. Instead, you kept all emotions bottled inside, waiting for the right opportunity to mourn him without troubling anyone. And in just a few months’ time, you’d stop troubling everyone.

You would be free to go back home.

Yet you still wanted a bit more time to make sure Demetri would be alright when you finally left.

Remembering that Bella waited for you to respond, you shake your head ‘I…don’t know Bells. Losing your soul in the process seems like a big deal.’

‘But it’s not.’ She defends herself ‘My soul rests with him. It was always him ______. And I really doubt the ‘soulless’ part because as you too have seen, both Edward and Demetri –I’m guessing– have a lot of that within.’

Opening your mouth, you try to rebuke her argument, but find yourself unable to do so. She was right of course; both Demetri and Edward had a lot soul left within them for vampires who believed the contrary. You had seen it in the way Edward had fearlessly pried you away from James’s hands, making sure to provide you with all the help you needed and, of course, you could see it in Demetri every single day since you met him; the big and scary Casanova vampire was as innocent and curious about the world around him like a child and would hesitate in nothing to protect his loved ones and you above his own self at any given time. He was caring, smart, gentle and loyal to a fault as much as he was silver-tongued, merciless and arrogant. You never looked at him and saw no soul behind those burgundy orbs, not even in the darkest times.

Bella reads the thoughts going on inside your mind as if you were speaking them to her, her worried face falling and replaced with a warm, kind one as she smiles shyly and tightens her grip around your hands. As if to give you all the warmth and support one can need with a single gesture.

When she speaks, her brown orbs have once again filled with pain and regret ‘I’m sorry for what I did back then _____. It was unfair of me to do that and you payed the price…I am so sorry.’

‘It was my own choice Bells.’ You nod ‘We all have free will within; I could have chosen to do nothing, to keep my secret. But seeing Edward there, I couldn’t not do anything. It was my own choice to intervene in the end and I would do it again and again. This hasn’t changed. But the things that happened afterwards are the ones troubling me the most; life went on for you but not for me. Everything continued like I never existed at all.’ You say honestly, pulling your hands from her.

A pained expression flashes raw over her face and she’s about to ask you something when Alice and Rose return, with a very cheerful René and a regretful-about-life-itself Charlie right behind her. Soon, Bella is swarmed again and the conversations and emotions skyrocket as the last gifts are given and the time rolls towards the ceremony. Bella soon forgets your conversation, overwhelmed and almost frantic, while you choose to stay in the back and just exchange a few words with Charlie, who –just like you- wants to get this entire thing over and done with. He does though ask you about your well-being, noting you are paler than normal and frailer, but you wave him off with a laugh and a question about his next fishing trip. It does do the trick and soon the man is at ease and Alice is announcing it’s time for the ceremony to begin.

Walking downstairs in order to find Demetri, you throw a quick look at yourself on a nearby mirror; your lavender coloured, illusion sweetheart-neckline chiffon [dress ](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/b8/3a/d5/b83ad515b371343754438754e12b6d0e.jpg)is flowing down freely to kiss the marble floor, while matching lace is covering the bosom all the way up a few inches under your neck. Adorned with a cummerbund around the waist, it flowed freely down and matched with the loose half-braiding you did in your [hair](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/19/68/d1/1968d121d8dc40e6b46662a6d743e711.jpg), allowing the rest of the (h/c) locks to fall into lively curls. The colour brought out the (e/c) of your orbs and matched almost perfectly with your (s/c) skin. For the occasion you had chosen a light makeup, opting for a more natural look.

As if on cue, Demetri, Emmett and Jasper were waiting for you all on the side porch, with Demetri offering you’re his elbow delicately with a wink and a sly smile. Returning it with a big one of your own.

Behind him, all the guests had taken their respectful positions and waited patiently for the bride. Everything was settled and in just few moments, the wedding would begin.

‘Demetri, try to make sure she doesn’t trip.’ Alice orders laconically from in front of you both, throwing you as a menacing glare as she can pull –more like an angry kitten than anything–, before shoving a bouquet of white flowers in your hands ‘Don’t slouch forward, keep your head high and smile ______. Smile.’

‘Aye aye Captain.’ You chuckle ‘Are you gonna ask me who lives at the pineapple in the sea?’

‘Ha ha. Not funny.’ She rolls her eyes exasperatedly before pulling Jasper over and lacing her hand over his.

‘If I throw a joke, you’ll kill me right?’ tease her mercilessly, enjoying the way her shoulders tighten and her eyebrows furrow in dismay over her pixie-like characteristics. From beside her, Jasper coos at her gently.

‘I’ll probably attack your neck like a coyote with rabies.’ She mutters, but her tone is light and as you laugh at the image, you feel a wave of calmness washing over you like a warm shower in the coldest winter night. Involuntarily, you shiver visibly, and Demetri throws you a questioning look.

‘Have I ever told you how much I appreciate your ability Jasper?’ muttering lowly, you allow Demetri to lead you behind them, keeping a firm but gentle grasp of your hand; you could feel the coldness of his skin even under the sleeve of his tux and you were very clearly aware of the sound of his breathing. As if all sounds intensified at that very moment, you chose to focus on his calm breathing rather than the countless eyes staring and the sound of the orchestra getting their positions.

‘Anytime for our ______.’ Jasper turns ever so slightly to smile at you, before the music changes again and you know it’s your time to roll.

‘Count to five after us and walk down the aisle like your life depends on it!’ Alice orders one last time and off they go.

With a murderously tight grip around Demetri’s elbow –not that the vampire could feel it– you follow behind Alice and Jasper, shoulders rolled back, head held high and a small smile on your lips. It feels surreal to walk down the aisle and you can feel everyone’s eyes on you, whispers of the handsome young man beside you rising to meet with the cool air, as you walk down the narrow aisle and towards the altar. Demetri appears unbothered and he is gently but steadily leading you on, whispering words of encouragement so lowly, that you are sure only you can hear. Edward smiles kindly at you and with the loudest thought you can produce, you allow him to know just how proud you are for them both. They will make one another happy and there is no better ending to such a great love story. When you take your places, Bella is following last, escorted by Charlie and radiating beauty and grace with every move she does.

Dressed in her satin, mermaid dress, with rich lace covering her hands and various parts of her dress, she seems ethereal as she walks down the aisle. The fabric moves delicately along with her and the light reaches down to caress her skin in the gentlest way, further pointing out her white complexion and dark chocolate hair. Her lips are quivering and her grip around her bouquet of striking white roses is flimsy, overcome by anxiety under all those eyes, yet the moment she sees Edward waiting for her, you can actually see how the world falls quiet around her and it’s only her and the love of her life. Her shoulders roll back, her eyes fill with life and love and you can feel your own blossoming with tears of happiness. She is absolutely stunning at this moment, her happiness radiating from the deepest parts of her heart to fill all the spaces the light can’t reach and in this mere moment, all the moments you spend with her flash before your eyes. She is the little kid you played in the mud with, she is the odd-one-out as you walk in the school cafeteria and she is your best friend who finally becomes a grown woman. Even if you are still a bit bitter about everything that went down and the realization that maybe you loved her more than she did you, you still feel proud for her. Wishing her all the best one can get. Wishing her happiness above everything else.

The rest of the ceremony passes in a whirlwind of bittersweet emotions all mixing to bring tears to your eyes. By the moment they say their ‘I do’s’ you have already ruined your mascara and a very grumpy Alice is handing you tissues. All the guests pass to the reception area and the celebrations for the wedding begin with an abundance of wine and toasts from various family members and friends on behalf of the couple; you knew very well that you had to make one yourself as the Maid of Honour, but you looked so moved that no one even dared to bring it up. No matter how much Emmett insinuated that maybe some ‘soul’ should also be getting ready for a wedding, no matter how much Alice nudged you to speak up. Thankfully, Demetri was always there by your side, holding your hand in his cold, reassuring own to slither you out of anything you weren’t in a state to do for now.

Meanwhile, the families from both sides took it upon themselves to speak up about the couple and after what seemed like a long cringe-fest, Emmett had everyone laughing with one of his notorious jokes. As for you, it was a matter of life and death -as Alice put it- that you went around as the Maid of Honour to greet the guests and thank them all for coming to the wedding. Thankfully for you, most of the guests you knew -some of them said how happy they were to see you back, others expressed their condolences for your father- but none of them where any less than kind and warm towards you. Even when you greeted Billy and Sue Clearwater, the only two of the Quileute that were there; of course, neither you or Demetri had forgotten the last encounter you had with them, and you physically felt Demetri tense and a low rumble of a growl buzz from his chest, but you kept the greetings quick and as polite as you could before moving onwards.

A few tables before you called it a night and enjoyed a few more glasses of champagne calmly and quietly, Demetri was conversing airily with some of the guests, when you feel the air swift from right behind you and the world goes completely black as someone throws his hands over your eyes.

Instinctively, your heart tightens and your breath is caught in your lungs; Demetri pauses mid-sentence, but instead of tensing, he simply chuckles as a ‘ssssssh’ comes from behind you and you realise the hands are warm and a bit dry to the touch.

There is an adorable chuckle, and something clicks inside your mind.

‘Not anyone can creep up to me as you always do Angie.’ You breathe out in feigned exasperation as you feel the hands getting lifted and you blink as the world falls back into place.

Her ever-gentle hands fall on your shoulders and gingerly guide you to turn around, coming face to face with the only other human you could call a friend in Forks. Angela flashes a smile that could melt the ice on the Poles and squeals in delight as she throws her hands around you, enveloping you in a warm, tight hug. Closing your eyes, you wrap your hands tightly around her small figure, relishing in the familiar fruity aroma of strawberries and vanilla she always seemed to give off; your hearts pounded loudly, elated to see one another again after what seemed like forever. It brought a sneaky sob in your chest, which you battled fiercely to swallow down. When she pulls back, her chestnut brown eyes are blossoming with happy tears, which she tries her best to wipe from under her glasses.

‘You…. You idiot!’ she chokes out a sob ‘Why did you leave without a goodbye?!’

Maybe it was the entirety of the seven months you had to see her, but it was crystal clear that the girl had changed since the last time you saw her. The last remains of her child-like characteristics had fallen away from her face, leaving in their wake beautiful curves and sharp features of a full-grown woman who was able to steal many breaths away. Her hair cascaded her shoulders in an ocean of straight, espresso coloured waves, while her golden dress hugged her figure to perfection. Behind her, you could see her boyfriend Ben smiling kindly at you, and you smile in return, but Angela presses your attention back to her.

‘You better have a good explanation for disappearing in a cloud of smoke like that!’

‘Umm, I’m happy to see you too Angie.’ You sheepishly smile ‘Well, even if I try, I don’t think you’re going to believe it anyway.’

She rests her hands on her hips and pouts, eyes flashing with anger ‘You don’t have a single clue how worried I was! Up in smoke without a single word and with Bella chewing on excuses! Dream university in Florence my ass!’

Ben chooses that moment to walk to Angela’s side, getting a hold of her hand in a way to make sure she was alright; true to the call, the shaking girl seems to relax but the tension never leaves her shoulders as her boyfriend kisses the top of her head tenderly ‘Don’t worry yourself too much Ang. _____ is alright and that’s all that matters.’ He says, flashing you an apologetic but saddened smile. There was something more in the way he stood right beside her, but you couldn’t quite place it, so you quirk an eyebrow in question.

‘Actually’ a smoky, velvet-smooth and alluring voice speaks up right beside you and Demetri smiles one of his most magnetic smiles ‘It was an opportunity not easily passed. Our university is the chance of a lifetime to study (your favourite subject). Alas, not great with phone signals I am afraid. I can assure you though, _____ was worried about all of you.’

He says and wraps a reassuring hand around your waist, pulling you subtly to his side. He’s got you girl, there is no reason to worry; you had worked on the excuses like crazy over dinner and lunches at your house and by the way Angela turns her gaze to him and all tension leaves her face, you know she has bought everything. It was the effect the Casanova vampire had to people; he charmed them way too easily -all it took was a smile and a gentle gaze and they danced on the palm of his hand- yet no matter how much you had witnessed it, it still instilled a sense of awe. Ben straightens his back subtly and Angela’s mouth half opens, until you clear your throat.

‘Angie, Ben, this is my boyfriend Demetri.’ You smile ‘Demetri, these are my childhood friends since first grade. Angela and Ben. Angie and I used to sit on the same desk at school; she saved my ass from detention more times than I can count.’

Courtly, Demetri shakes their hands and plants a chastise kiss on Angela’s, who is looking between you and Demetri as if she can’t believe her own two eyes. Only to receive a smile and a wink from you.

What could you say, both had made your student years a lot easier to tolerate and Angela had stood by your side a lot before Bella even came into the picture. Angela kept you out of trouble of punching any of your bullies to the face and Ben always was a helping hand with homework or to offer a word of advice. Both Angela and Ben were crazily in love with one another, for years and years, yet they had only been together these past two years when Ben finally managed to surpass his awkwardness and ask her out. They were the only friends you had at Forks High and leaving them behind like that still saddened you; so to see them happy and still together was a breath of fresh air for you, a sigh of relief you didn’t know you were holding.

‘Glad to meet you Demetri. It’s nice to meet more Cullen relatives.’ Ben smiles, yet misses the way Demetri’s jaw tightens for just a fraction of the second, gone as quickly as it came.

Alright, this can get bad ‘No, they’re not really related Ben.’

‘Only through some other distant relatives. I can see why you would be confused; we do share some _characteristics._’ Demetri inclines his head politely, offering a tight smile.

‘I’m happy to see that you take good care of _____.’ Angela turns to you ‘Though you do look a bit pale _____, it’s nothing too serious right?’ her eyes flood with worry but you shake your head, suddenly too aware of three pairs of eyes looking straight through you, one of them so piercing, that reaches straight through your soul. Heartbeat accelerates and cold sweat drenches the back of your neck; don’t look at you too much, play it cool _____.

‘It’s nothing really. Maybe I had a bit too much fun with running around with the wedding preparations.’ This was a straight up lie ‘But enough about me, how have you two been?’ you try to change the subject and from the lightening up of your friends faces, it works.

With a suspicious exchange of stares, all moon-eyed and with a rich red colour dusting their cheeks, they turn to you and Angela raises her left hand, wiggling her fingers while a huge grin of utter happiness dawns in her face. Right there, adorning her delicate finger, rests a magnificent golden wedding ring which shines brightly in the dancing light. Realization floods your mind and it’s your turn to have your jaw drop to the floor and your eyes almost pop out of your skull, too taken aback to say a single word.

‘We’re married! Oh _____, we got married just one month ago! It’s crazy!’ Angela exclaims at your shocked self.

‘H-How?! When, where, you’ve got to tell me everything! How did this happen?!’

Ben grins ‘At our graduation ceremony. When it was all done and we were at the party, I kneeled and asked her to marry me. I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life by her side from the moment she had agreed to date me; so, I grabbed the opportunity and boy was I peeing my pants.’

‘He was so pale and trembling, I though he was sick! Next thing I knew, I was agreeing to marry him and a month afterwards, we got married! You should have seen it _____, it was so romantic under the willow trees by the lake!’ Angela smiles and leans into Ben’s hug, love and affection emanating from their auras like the warm summer breeze.

‘Congratulations to the both of you.’ Demetri wishes them warmly.

‘I can’t believe it! God I’m so happy for the both of you guys!’ you exclaim happily, tears of utter happiness bubbling in your eyes for your friends. They really suited one another and from the bottom of your heart, you always wished them to be happy and healthy for many-many years to come. If someone deserved happiness, this was these two pure souls, so deeply in love with one another it was insane. 

‘We also have another surprise.’ Angela grins.

‘Jesus Angie, have mercy on my heart!’ you roll your eyes.

‘We are expecting a baby girl!’

A shrieking sound no human could ever produce came out of your lungs, turning quite a few curious heads, wondering if a pterodactyl had come back from the dead right in the Cullens backyard. None of this mattered though, you didn’t care for them at all as you eject yourself to envelope both Ben and Angela in a warm and tight hug, tears of happiness and sobs of uncontrollable emotion rising from inside all three of you. Laughter, tears, happiness and wishes flew in the air to become one with Fate herself and it was one of the few times you could remember experiencing such mind-blowing joy. After everything that happened, after everything you went through, this was one of the few good news you got for your friends that blew your heart and mind. Ben and Angela had already made their own family; they were happy and healthy, and they would welcome the fruit of their love into the world in a few months’ time.

Happiness seized your heart and refused to let go, especially when they asked both you and Demetri to become the Godparents of their little girl. Demetri was also obviously happy and surprisingly affirmative in their request and you felt even more love -if that was ever possible- for him.

All of you returned together to your seats and immersed yourselves into deep conversation, while you just couldn’t stop squeezing Angela’s hands, complimenting her and hearing about the baby. Demetri, ever so charming, quickly seemed to get on Ben’s good graces with his dazzling smile and charming personality and both couples seemed to enjoy the party even more now. Angela of course never failed to comment on what a matching couple you and Demetri were as well; you complimented each other, and she had never seen you so… calm and _yourself_, as she was seeing you now. Of course, she was saddened to hear about your dad, but death was a part of life as well. She only wished that you learnt from that and now you’d have a chance to start your very own family with someone who truly loved you; Demetri for example. She failed to detect the look you exchanged with Demetri, nor the way sadness creeped into your smile… she didn’t know you wouldn’t have a chance for a family… For more reasons than simply one.

By the time you could no longer ignore Alice’s insistent glares for a toast by the Maid of Honour, the sun had long ago set over the trees. Darkness was kept at bay with thousands of little fairy lights expertly woven inside the garlands, plunging the whole place in a warm golden light and combined with the aromas from the flowers and the alcohol, it reminded you truly how summer feels like. Squeezing Demetri’s hand and nodding at him that it was time, you grab your glass and stand up, straightening your dress and exhaling deeply. With sure and steady movements, you make a beeline through the sea of tables, heels clicking on the stones beneath you and eventually on the paved floor of the make-shift dancefloor.

Heart pounding in your ears, you nod at Alice laconically, who taps her glass gently with her knife, forcing the conversations to die down and all eyes turn on you as you smile beautifully to everyone and focus your attention to the newlyweds; Bella offers you a kind smile of her own and beside her, Edward can’t contain a small chuckle and a lopsided grin, as he probably reads the full glory of your thoughts.

‘First of all.’ Your voice rings almost like a gunshot on a clear day, sounding crystal clear and confident ‘I’d like to personally thank you all for coming here to celebrate such a beautiful and important day as the marriage of two of my best friends. It really means so much and I personally thank you for coming to see the blessing of their union.’ You smile, eyes scanning all the faces of the crowd, standing on two or three pairs that were familiar.

‘It’s been long since I first met Bella; over a pot of sand in my backyard, age eight, fighting about who’s going to eat a handful first. It didn’t end well.’ everyone laughs, and you wink deviously at Bells ‘But through the years I’ve seen her grow into a woman who is headstrong, kind and generous and I’d never regret a single minute of it. We laughed, fought, joked around and survived our lives together with precious moments I will never forget. She is my best friend. And to see her today, married to the man of her dreams, who I know will treat her with love and respect, is truly a blessing like no one else. Edward is truly a man of kindness and generosity and I’m sure he will make her happy; in all the years I know Bells, it’s the first time I see her eyes shining like someone placed the stars in there. If true love looks like anything, this is probably it.’

You turn to the newlyweds and raise your glass, smiling the biggest and sincerest smile you had ever given.

Both of them mimic you, along with everyone else around you.

‘So a toast to mr and mrs Cullen! May your marriage be one filled with happiness, health and prosperity. And may your years be eternal!’

_Because mine will never be…_

The thought escapes you before you had the chance to filter it away.

Everyone -including you- drinks from their glasses, but Edward suddenly halts in his movements; glass a mere inch away from his lips, it freezes, as his golden eyes widen in shock and nail themselves on you. You gulp down the fizzy drink, but never fail to notice his smile dropping and his grip tightening around his glass, threatening to shatter it at any given second. Gold floods with sorrow and raw regret and you can’t help but sigh in your glass and wave him off mentally. This is your choice since you don’t want to be turned; it’s not an easy one, but it’s the one you want.

Thankfully, the moment lasts only for a second, as Alice jumps up and announces that the three couples of bridesmaids are going to dance and then we can all party till the first morning hours. Gracefully, Emmett offers his hand with a deep bow and a grin to Rosalie, who rolls her eyes but never manages to make the brooding last, before a laugh escapes her lush lips. Jasper kisses Alice’s hand and allows her to draw him toward the dancefloor. As for you, you simply feel two cold hands slither their way around your waist and someone plant a cold kiss on the back of your head, before you turn and smile brightly at Demetri, who leans down and places a chastise kiss on your lips; his amethyst coloured eyes are shining with love and happiness and a mesmerised grin appears, as he gazes upon your face -like all life has disappeared around you- and suddenly your heart decides to stop and your breath to hitch. Dizzying. Divine. Cold. Alluring. Temptation in the form of a man. And all yours.

You’d never have it any other way.

As the orchestra picks up an unfamiliar tune, you rest your hands delicately on Demetri’s shoulder and waiting hand, with the man chuckling at the way your skin shivers under his butterfly touch.

‘Try to calm yourself mio amore, or people are going to notice..’ he comments and you don’t really like the double meaning his words have or the way he tightens his grip possessively.

Certainly, it does nothing to calm you, and instead your face inflames ‘Damn you Casanova, because your mind is in the gutter, doesn’t mean mine is as well!’ you whisper-yell at him, turning your beet-red face away from the crowd, a desperate attempt to hide your embarrassment.

In response, he hums happily ‘I did not say anything about dirty thoughts, ________.’_

Holy fuck, he caught you red-handed. No matter the glare you give him, you can see in his Cheshire-smile how satisfied he is with his teasing; you can actually feel his chest buzzing as he leans to your ear and whispers, voice low and drowned enough so no-one else would really hear you.

_‘Patience __αγαπη_ _μου__, after tonight I will have you all to myself once again.’_

Aaaaand there are your thoughts diving back into the gutter with a nice backflip while they’re at it. 

Change the subject now, before you spontaneously combust _____!

‘So’ you try, ignoring the insistent pounding of your heart ‘Did you really mean what you said to Angela back there? Do you really want us to be the Godparents of her little kiddo?’

This seems to distract him enough and you mentally high-five yourself as he sighs, suddenly appearing as if his mind was completely elsewhere; it was a look you hadn’t seen on him ever again and it puzzled you, making you frown and quirk an eyebrow.

‘I find it fair to keep your human friends close.’ He says slowly, every word measured and careful ‘It is not only about the vampires. I cannot provide you with warmth; not like your friends do. And I will not take that from you, at least until you say to me to do so.’

This puzzles you even more ‘But they don’t know what we do, what you are! Won’t that endanger them?’

‘Not if the Cullens do their part of the job.’ He gazes deep into your eyes and you notice shadows dancing within the rich purple ‘For the rest of time you will be surrounded by vampires. At least we can keep some humans around for the time being. They do not need to know the details and you need them just as much; they are from your own kind.’

This time, you cannot contain your chuckle ‘Why don’t you admit you’re just sentimental Demetri? That you genuinely liked them? I love you too much to judge you…’

Smiling, he leans down and kisses you fleetingly.

‘I love you too mio amore.’

As the [song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glE9sDdnXis) picks up and the singers start singing in perfect Italian, Demetri steadily starts guiding you into a quick-paced Viennese waltz, expertly moving you along in circles, matching your pace with the other two vampire couples around you. Everything becomes a blur of colours and lights in a mere second as he moves you quickly, with only the way you are pressed against him and the breathing of his chest remaining to keep you grounded into reality.

It seemed like an eon had passed since the last time you had properly danced with him in such an occasion, yet your body didn’t find it too difficult to match with his own movements, making you both twist and turn like it was just the two of you and the mesmerising sound of the Italian tenors gracing you with their otherworldly voices. Demetri moves you to the right, body guiding you around the dancefloor in a counter-clockwise movement that emits energy and aesthetic grace; your dress rustles with every move around your feet, his thumb is ever-so-gingerly caressing circles on your back and in this precise moment, you feel your heart elate with just how much you love him. Bodies made to match one another perfectly, everything else disappears and it’s just you and him and the love you both feel for one another. Right at this moment, you wouldn’t mind if the world vanished and he remained; no, there would be nothing that could make you more content, to have him all to yourself. Yet knowing how limited you time together was, made the whole experience even more precious.

Demetri spins you around with a languid move, dress flowing and a huge smile cutting your face in two, before he jerks you back into his embrace with your back against his chest and his hand on your stomach. Another reverse turn and you are moving to the left, never losing your body connections, until the tenor hits a high note and he pulls you literally off your feet; all three women appear as if you are all floating on air as your vampires carry you through the dancefloor, earning quite a few gasps from your audience, before your feet are back on the floor, you spin one more time and return to their embraces delicately and gracefully. And you wish, you wish with all your heart for time to stop so you can savour the moment forever; to have him forever, never lose him, never die, never leave his side. Never feel anything but the exploding emotions that are overflowing your heart like hot lava, running scorching hot through you and making you feel more alive than ever. If only this moment lasted for a moment more, one more night.

Yet reality once again falls into place as the song comes to an end and Demetri stops you both, a cacophony of applause tearing at your ears, silenced only when he leans in and places yet another loving kiss on your lips.

If bliss was a drug, you’d never be able to escape it.

Alas, reality is a cold and harsh mistress.

‘_____ we have a problem.’

Demetri’s jaw clenches down hard. You eyeroll so hard, you swear you saw your brain. Yet the pixie voice is insistent and commands your attention; Alice looks like she’s about to pass out from worry, eyes dancing from you to somewhere behind the whole ceremony and into the shadows and to you.

‘Of course we do.’ You sigh ‘What is it now?’

‘Jacob is here to see Bella and so are a few other werewolves.’ She urges ‘Edward agreed with Bella seeing them, but it would be nice to have _someone _with her.’

‘And the thought-reading Cullen cannot watch over his own wife?’

Demetri’s voice was clearly a sneer as he stared down Alice like she just slapped him across the face and honestly you can’t help but feel the same frustration as he does.

Now it’s her that eyerolls ‘It’d be easier if there was another human. Then maybe they won’t attack.’ She says.

Throwing a hand over your face, the exhale you release could very well be your own soul leaving your body ‘Alright, I’ll go.’

‘______-‘

You hold a hand up ‘I got this Demetri. If I need help, you’ll know.’ You reassure him and by the way his shoulders roll back proudly and his purple eyes flash with anger, you know he’ll listen to you but he ain’t at all happy about it ‘I’ll be right back.’

Turning on your heel, you storm towards the point where Alice was staring at as if it would spontaneously combust, a string of colourful curses muttered under your breath towards any and all gods up or down. It was just a few more hours, a few more hours of mindless chit-chat and the plane to Egypt is waiting for you at the airport, why should werewolves always make things complicated? Dear god Jacob, Bella getting married would be a satisfactory clue that she ain’t available anymore. And what if a certain _someone _was with him? No, the last you heard, he had crossed the Canadian border and was lost on the forests there. But Leah is obnoxious enough to get you going.

As you walk, your heels click with every step and you are keenly aware of your energy pulsing vividly under your skin; the wind swifts and awakens all around you, pulling back your loose hair and cooling your skin, letting you know that your powers are in full-out mode if need be. You just hoped you wouldn’t have to use them.

Thankfully, when you finally make your way to the top of the stairs and look down towards the forest, Bella’s white silhouette and Jacob’s towering one right beside her seem to be dancing along to a tune only they can hear. Letting out a breath you didn’t know you were holding, you step down the stairs one by one, anxiety finally settling down in your chest. Well, at least no one is screaming, shifting or attacking one another for the time being; with a quick scan of the air you know there are more werewolves in the immediate vicinity, you just don’t know which ones are they. Jacob’s head perks up a little as you approach, noticing you but never letting go of Bella.

Instead of interrupting them, you simply choose to sit on one of the stairs, letting them appreciate the moment and keeping an eye on the werewolves, who shift a bit in your presence but never come out of the shadows.

‘Afraid I’ll trash the party?’ Jacob chuckles, half-seriously and half-jokingly, a question that was more directed at you than at Bella. He never breaks his hold around the petite girl though.

Bella leans back and glares at him, biting down on her bottom lip and the werewolves move inside the forest restlessly but you don’t sweat at all. Instead, you give him a thumbs up and chuckle unamused at his pathetic try to be jovial about things like that, when in reality, they were not even remotely funny.

‘Only that you’ll steal the bride Jake.’ You say.

Jacob hums in response ‘You’re not the only ones…’ he says and pointedly stares at the forest ‘When are you going back _____?’

‘Tonight. We leave after the party.’ You say and rest your chin on your hand, relishing at the quiet moment as much as they do.

He hums again and rocks with Bella a little bit more, his muscles relaxing and face falling into a calm expression; Bella seems just as content, finally happy to have her best friend back and in good terms. They slow dance for a bit more, the sounds of the faraway party dying down completely, until Jacob chooses to break the silence spell once again.

‘This is how I’m going to remember you Bells… Pink cheeks…two left feet.’ He grabs her gently by the waist and spins her around, the brown-haired girl letting out a pearl of laughter ‘Heartbeat.’

Bella’s voice breaks when she speaks ‘So what, soon I’m going to be dead to you?’

‘No.’ he defends himself steadily, noticing Bella’s eyes shining with tears ‘I’m just trying to appreciate your last night as a human...’

Bella blinks sheepishly ‘Well, it’s not my last night.’

Uh-oh, tread carefully Bella, you don’t want to venture into these kinds of territories with your ex-love interest… who is really racist against vampires no less. Not that it’s unfair, but still…

Jacob leans back a bit, eyebrows furrowing in confusion ‘I…I thought you..’

‘Didn’t really want to spend my honeymoon writhing in pain…’ Bella shrugs and spares a glance at you.

Honestly, you wouldn’t want that either.

‘What’s the point?’ he scoffs ‘It’s not like you’ll have a normal honeymoon with him anyway.’

You didn’t need to see Bella taking a small step back, her face contorting into one of offended annoyance to know that Jacob had crossed into private matters. So when she speaks, her voice is surprisingly cold, something you had never heard of her.

‘It’s going to be as real as anyone else’s.’

‘That’s a sick joke.’ He interrupts her.

Now Bella was truly glaring at him and you were rooting for her honestly. What does ‘_this is a joke_’ mean? What, Edward can’t possibly kill her with how careful he’s with her and ‘_killed by too much canoodling’_ isn’t exactly a bad way to go. But boy oh boy can you not feel the tension rising in the air! Straightening your back, you allow the electricity of the incoming storm make your skin crawl as your gaze turns watchful and your (e/c) orbs dance between them to catch the precise moment when you’ll be needed to step in.

This is not going well.

Jacob though, being as clueless as ever, doesn’t get the hint ‘You’re joking.’

Scratch that, he does get the clue when Bella jerks back and throws him an annoyed glare that could scare you away. Not surprisingly at all, you catch a glimpse of anger flashing over Jacob’s face and his hands start trembling.

‘What, while you are still human?!’ he demands ‘You can’t be serious Bella. Tell me you’re not that stupid!’

This time, you rise on your feet, watching Jacob closely and tightening your fists for a good measure ‘Jake, if they are careful, it can happen and it’s not lethal. Geez, will you lighten up a little?’

‘_____ don’t.’ Bella intervenes, raising her hand to say that she’s got this, before turning to Jacob. Her eyes have never been so cold in all the years you know her and it really, really worries you ‘It’s really **none** of your business.’

‘No, you can’t do this.’ Jacob grabs her by the arms and all alarms flare inside your mind.

Instinctively, you raise your hand, feeling the familiar tingle dance on your fingertips ‘Jake, take a step back from Bella right now.’ You demand coldly, watching the girl writhe in his grip.

‘No, Jake…’

‘Listen to me Bella.’

‘Let. Me. Go.’

With a quick shove, Bella pushes him away from her, releasing his painful grip -her hands immediately fly to rub at the sore spots where he had grabbed her- and you proudly step in front of her, blocking Jacob’s way. The young man seethes with anger as he regards you both and his hands are not full out shaking with the impending phasing his strong emotions bring. The battle is waging on inside his mind and you can see logic and werewolf battling in his eyes; if you don’t do anything now, this will get ugly.

‘Jacob, calm down. Deep breaths; you are going to hurt her.’ You try to pacify him, and for a spare second, it seems to work!

‘Are you both out of your mind?! Huh? He’s going to kill her!’

He takes a step forward and you raise your hands to defend both of you as Bella wraps her hands around your waist for support, but in a mere flash, a very dishevelled Seth Clearwater jumps from literally nowhere and grabs a tight hold around Jacob’s chest.

Instinctively, you take a step back; both to distance yourself from the imminent danger and to have the necessary space to defend the two of you. A move you are so thankful about, when Jacob casually shoves Seth away and is tackled by two more werewolves, one of which is Embry himself; needless to say, your eyes pop wide and your breathing stops entirely at the sight of your best friend and suddenly, you feel oh so cold. Still Jacob shoves them both away with little to no effort, the boys taking a few forceful steps back to keep their balance as Jake walks up to you..

‘Enough Jacob.’

Sam’s voice is crystal clear and the order brings Jacob straight into a halt; you breathe out in relief and Bella seems to relax behind you ever-so-faintly. But it doesn’t last for long, as you notice Embry staring at you coldly. 

He hasn’t slept in a quite a few days; dark circles have made their permanent stay under his once luxurious and lively brown eyes, which are staring at you now emptily and coldly, as if you are the mere vermin under his feet. A nuisance that just doesn’t seem to go away. He has lost so much weight, his chest bones are starting to appear underneath his clothes, which seem baggy and dishevelled, thrown on quickly and carelessly. He is but a shadow of his old self and you cannot help but feel a wild and overwhelming wave of sorrow and guilt wash over you like a tidal wave; this is all your fault. You did this to him by playing dirty and now he’s the one playing the price.

You actually deserve all the bad that is coming in your life…

Still, he says nothing. Only sneers at you and spits on the ground.

Making you jerk back.

‘Stay out of this Sam.’ Jacob’s voice brings you back to reality.

‘You’re not gonna start something that we’ll have to finish.’ Sam calmly says.

‘She’ll die.’ He insists.

‘No she will not.’ You gather the nerve to speak up, your fists tightening into balls and your voice clear and authoritative ‘If you listened to me before throwing a tantrum, I’d explain things. No, she won’t die, there is no such thing as _‘accidentally fucked her to death’_. Edward has been nothing but gentle to her -in stark contrast with you Jake- so he ain’t gonna kill her now. And being sexually intimate is possible as long as all parties are careful; much like a human relationship one can say.’

In your words, Jacob throws his hands in the air exasperatedly, making a turn to calm himself enough to aid a civilized conversation, while Embry scoffs darkly and Jared barks out a laugh. Choosing to ignore both you focus all your attention to Jacob, whose patience with this whole crap has already run out, but there’s no way he can go up against his Alpha. That doesn’t mean shit towards you though.

‘Fuck this shit, ______, and fuck your advice too! He’ll kill her I know he will! Who are you to kno-‘

There’s another voice that interrupts Jacob, one that makes you freeze right where you are standing.

‘C’mon Jake, you ain’t that blind. Look at the marks on her neck; she already banged the Volturi leech.’ Embry says emotionlessly, his eyes and mocking smile burning like hot coals on your soul, making you throw a hand over your heart in case the insult makes it bleed out.

Jared laughs again and Jacob swallows hard, while the rest of the pack freezes in awkward silence.

You are not going to get intimidated by mere mutts ‘This is not your business.’

Embry cocks his head to the side ‘It’s not, but it’s more fun this way. For all your high talk, you’re one selfish bitch ______.’

Might as well he had slapped you, it would hurt less. His words cut you like a scalpel and you roll your shoulders out, trying to keep all the remaining dignity you have; Embry never seizes to regard you with coldness and maliciousness and honestly, all the clever remarks have left your mind. You made him like this, it’s all your fault and goddamn, who has taken the air out of the forest?

‘So go ahead, call out to your leech to come save you.’ He urges, earning a pat in the back from Jared.

Following Embry’s example, Jared spits at you as well, though since he’s not Embry there’s something else rising in your chest right now.

Keep cool _____, calm down…

‘Fang banger can give the other slut advice. How does the saying do? Wh^res flock toge-‘

The knot in your throat finally bursts at Jared’s sneering remarks and instead of choking you, Jared’s eyes pop open and his hands try to reach his throat, only to be held back by an invisible force. It’s the very same force that presses down on his trachea like there is no tomorrow, making Embry look away in surprise for the first time tonight and the werewolves to spring into action; Jacob grabs Jared before he plummets to the ground like a log while Sam calls out to you.

‘______, please-‘

‘I. am. sick. and. **tired**. of. fucking. werewolves.’ You interrupt him, never tearing your gaze from Jared and pushing an invisible field around the rest of them, rendering them unable to move.

Growls sound all around you, but you simply don’t give a fuck as you stare down the now rapidly purpling man like he is a piece of s-

‘I am the fucking **_White Reaper_** of the goddamn Volturi and you are going to treat me with some respect!’ you spit each word out, pressing down on his delicate throat more and more with every single one of them ‘You are going to treat me with some fucking respect because I will not hesitate to turn your insides out! I. am. the. fucking. **_Reaper!_**’

Suddenly, Jared can breathe again. Wheezing, he falls to the ground, struggling to get as much air back into his lungs as his buddies’ rush to help him out. Why? You didn’t do that! You wanted to kill him…! Embry looks at you and says something you can’t hear. Bella yelps from behind you.

Something drips from the corners of your mouth.

Time seemed to freeze all around you and you’re only able to inhale a single breath of air before it happened, and it felt like you were currently hit by a speeding truck. Your consciousness is pushed to the back and your eyesight is immediately blurred, almost cutting off the people around you completely as your knees give out under you and you fall unceremoniously on the ground. Vaguely aware of Bella screaming out for you and your back arching a few inches from the ground, as your muscles trembled loudly, shaking your whole body thrash uncontrollably. It was impossible to stop; even if you kind of have some consciousness over your soul, it was utterly impossible to control your body. Like a prisoner, all you could do was hear yourself cry out weakly and Embry’s screaming above you, trying to restrict your contracting limps and not hurt himself in the process. You struggled to breathe; literally placing everything into trying to breathe normally, but by the burn on your lungs you knew this was a lost fight.

Inside the hell breaking loose, Demetri’s voice is suddenly clearer than the sun, but not before a sickening cracking sound erupts and hot pain washes over you.

Tears roll down your cheeks, flowing cold against your flaming skin, only worsening the biggest seizure you ever had in your life.

The blurriness escalates and everything goes black as you fall limply on the floor, inhaling sharply.


	42. Chapter 38 The Land Of The Gods

‘How are you feeling?’

Humming, you inhale the sweet aroma of lilac, honey and rain as it envelopes your senses from every possible angle, glued as you are in complete content on his side, long ago woken up from a very deep and relaxing slumber ‘Exactly as I did a few seconds ago: perfectly fine.’

Demetri’s chest buzzes with a low growl of annoyance reverberating deep within his chest ‘Letting you alone with the werewolves was a bad idea.’

‘It could ‘ve gone worse…’ you shrug sleepily.

‘A seizure and a broken hand are not enough for you?’ there was a jabbing edge to his tone which made your (e/c) open, momentarily blinded by the bright light coming through the small windows before they settled on a magnificent pair of obsidian orbs. Your mouth falls open to jab him right back, but he manages once again to outrun you ‘You refused to tell me about your sickness until it was too late. How is that fair?’

Eyebrows furrowing and almost meeting above your eyes, you withdraw yourself from his cold embrace only to sit up on the small bed you were both occupying at the moment, covers thrown messily around but clinging onto your form enough to keep you inside a protective warm cocoon in combination with your brand new woollen pyjamas Rosalie had gifted you. Demetri’s face resemblances that of a stone statue, his once luxurious burgundy eyes drowning under the merciless black of anger and even if he visibly stiffens when you pull away, he makes no movements to pull you back beside him, just returns your annoyed glare with a cold one of his own; his jaw is set and the darkness only accentuates the circles of starvation under his eyes, giving him a wild and dangerous look you’d love to explore was it not for your own rage seething under the surface. In this instance, he reminds you of the raging man you had seen back in Thessaloniki when you had run away from the Volturi; it screamed danger and fury.

‘Alright, it’s my fault I didn’t tell you. You don’t have to bitch about it.’ You bite back and you see his eyes flash, alas you meet them with a fearless glare of your own.

‘Coughing up blood and going into a seizure is not something one forgets to mention.’ He doesn’t even need to raise his voice for you to hear the amount of anger burning behind his words; it is as crystal clear as the cerulean sky outside the windows. Words feel like a burning rod against your skin and instinctively, your heart tightens.

‘Carlisle didn’t know it’ll come to this; he said so himself.’ Internally you thank the blond doctor though for not telling him you’re dying ‘Nobody really knows how it’s going to be now that my powers are diminishing.’

It didn’t need a genius to know your powers were thinning with each passing day and it certainly only served to add to the anxiety you were both feeling; you because of what it would mean to be declared _unhelpful _for the Volturi and for Demetri, in case it ate away at your life. Which it did, yet he knew not of that little detail.

Demetri sighs but doesn’t relax ‘Which is why I want you to be honest with me ______. Has it ever crossed your mind what it feels like to see you like this? Have you ever given it any thought what I would do if I lost you?’

Only that you think of that every single day, when you cry alone in the shower, or bathroom, or pretty much anywhere he can’t see you.

Swallowing hard, you try to keep your voice from wavering ‘Demetri, things like that happen. I’m only human.’

‘Which is a status that can change as soon as you give me the go ahead.’ He insists steadily for the millionth time, voice laced with determination.

Only for you to roll your eyes ‘We talked ab-‘

‘No, we did not.’ He interrupts sharply, shutting you up ‘You did. I am and never will be willing to lose you; accept that because I will not hesitate if it comes down to it. Eternity would be torture without you by my side. I do not even know how I lasted this long without you; know, that I would much rather have you mad with me for eternity than dead.’

As silence falls between you, he gingerly takes your broken left hand in his two own, passing his deft fingers gingerly above the stone-like cast Carlisle had applied. Under the soft and inviting mattress of the bed, the buzzing from the airplane engines is still notable, as it gently glides on the vast blue skies without a single thing disturbing its smooth journey. From the small windows, the sun is rushing in mercilessly, filling the place with a majestic golden light that matches perfectly with the beige covers of the bed and the frosted blond of Demetri’s hair as he lies back on the pillows, chest bare and inviting and marble-like flesh blooming with black veins as soon as the light touches him. Once you had found them horrendous; the way the black made the skin look corpse-like and rotted, an animated corpse that plagued the living. Now, it was fascinating to watch the veins interlace with one another, creating intricate patterns for you to see where life used to course through the love of your life when he was still human.

Wordlessly, you return into his embrace, gluing yourself on his side and contently resting your head on his chest, exactly where his un-beating heart is.

After you passed out in the backyard, next thing you knew was coming back to it in Carlisle’s medical room, one hand carefully wrapped inside a solid cast and the other tightly held by a very worried Demetri. Everything was silent since the party was over and done and Bella and Edward had already left for their honeymoon, leaving you a small letter with their apologies and wishes. As for the rest of the Cullens, some were cleaning up after the guests and Carlisle and Rosalie were by your side as well, with a very upset Rose telling you how she almost snapped at the werewolves before Emmett stepped up and restrained her while Sam gathered everyone and returned back to their village, with a very upset Embry needing a special order from the werewolf Alpha in order to get his fur moving. Apparently, he had rushed to your side and tried to keep you from flailing around, only to end up breaking your left hand in two like a twig; at that, Demetri threw a few comments on how untrained and perfectly useless the werewolves were, suggesting to the Cullens to keep a close eye on them if they didn’t want the Volturi to come knocking.

Carlisle didn’t take that comment lightly and promised to defuse the situation in order to keep anyone else from getting injured, calling for patience and understanding about their situation. Something Demetri didn’t have to give, if you judged by the way his eyes turned abyssal black and his posture refused to swift from the absolute tightness that described him when he was ready to attack. Instead, he allowed you a few moments to compose yourself before time to leave came. Accepting the small package filled with your favourite goodies that Esme had made you, you say your final goodbyes; with the only exception being Rosalie, no sinking feeling bloomed in your heart and surprisingly, you pulled through your rushed goodbyes with a straight face and the realization that you’re probably never going to see them again. Rose would be crying if she was a human and hugged you tighter than all the others; whispering how sorry she was for everything that happened and how she wishes, above all else, that you find your kind of happiness. Whatever that might be and no matter how you find it.

With a last glance behind you and a saddened smile, you said your final goodbye to the Cullens and Forks; it was a bittersweet feeling knowing that you’re never going to see the endless emerald forests and the silver skies, never going to see the familiar faces you have grown so used to. You wouldn’t. Because now, your home rested between harsh soil and under the piercing and blinding sun, where the olive trees created silver mazes and the marble buildings towered above to kiss the vast blue sky.

‘Everything’s going to be fine. We’ll get through this.’ You reassure Demetri.

‘If I can count on something, it is that. Yet we still have quite the challenge in front of us.’ He agrees.

‘Is the meeting worrying you that much?’ you lean up to see him looking out of the windows, worry flashing raw over his perfect face, puzzling you ‘I think we can handle a few of them on our own…’

His resolution is obvious in his voice when he responds, yet he still doesn’t avert his eyes from the sun ‘I am assured of that; if anything, we have survived worse. Alas, it is still going to be a challenge. The African Covens are not what you would say…. civilized at most cases and since the last time I saw them, they have grown quite restless. Not all of course, but a special handful of them will be a problem. And then, the court which we are going to stay in is not particularly safe for you.’

‘Cause I’m a human.’

He nods solemnly ‘Because you are a human with the power of the Volturi themselves backing you up. And a Distorter at that. They have no problems with humans, since all of them keep a tight court of human… aiders… with them but it is a whole different thing for a human to boss them around. Master Aro knew who he was sending; teaching them a lesson will be beneficial for them to start acting like less assholes than they truly are.’ He looks at you with a devious grin, marvelling at the way your head perks up and a huge Cheshire grin splits your face.

‘Is that a swear word I heard?’

‘Bad company will do that to you.’ He winks deviously and chuckles deeply.

‘Of course, blame it solely on me Volturdoggie.’ You roll your eyes, but the accusation falls deaf as you laugh and rest your chin on his chest, watching him closely as he grins and licks his lips, the epitome of an Adonis all for yourself.

‘Maybe punishment should be served later.’ He smiles suggestively, his tone making a wild shiver travel down your spine and ignite your nerves with the promises of an intimacy you hadn’t shared since a few days before the wedding, only further accentuated by the slight retreat of the obsidian in his eyes and a flood of a perfect red tint in them, but he nods as if pulling himself from a spell well casted ‘But for now, warnings should be addressed.’

As you pull back, both of you sit up on the bed, inches away from one another and Demetri laces his fingers together in the same way he did when the moment called for business; it was tough for you to focus nonetheless since his hair was perfectly tousled and his chest was bare across from you, forcing you to snap your attention to anything but him. Even after so long, you guessed he kind of forgot how your breath hitched and your thoughts scattered when he lounged himself like that around you. But! this was a very important matter that could very well turn the whole Volturi rule upside down and threaten their power, so you better focus and listen to what he had to say. If anything, you’d rather eat your own feet than place him in danger. And if push came to shove, you’ll not hesitate to kill anyone just to be sure you’ll come out of this in one piece.

It was too early for him to get rid of you. You still had a few months.

‘Africa is ruled by five vampire clans. One of them, the Egyptian Clan, is the one we will be staying at and the clan most friendly to us, since the vampire Head is more civilized than the rest. She is the one that controls a very large hunting ground and usually the rest of the Clans trespass or try to take her lands; her rule covers Egypt, Libya, Algeria, Niger and Nigeria, Chad and Sudan. She was the first one to side with the Volturi when they expanded their rule and aided them to subdue the rest. Probably she will not going to have too many demands, just a healthy amount that Aro advises we should cater at; within reason of course.’ He says, biting down on his lip absentmindedly before continuing.

‘Another clan is the Congo Clan. Their leader, Eniola, rules Cameroon, Central Africa, Gabon and Congo; out of all of them, he’s the most traditional in his _ways and mannerisms. _Always the most rebellious one, challenging all and every authority other than his own. Was it not for the way he subdues the wild vampires in his territory, Aro would have seen to it that he was eliminated; Felix is actually looking forward for the time he is going to be graded as… redundant and he will be unleashed against him. Aro knows how he treats his human _pets _but as long as he does not expose us, he is tolerated.’

‘If he’s a piece of shit, I can’t guarantee-‘

‘That’s exactly what Aro has in mind as well. Given your…. colourful… personality towards authority figures, he figures you can either conform him or give us a reason to _swift _his rule to his son, who is rather positive towards the Volturi.’ He winks.

‘And the rest?’

‘Next is the South African Clan under Unathi’s leadership. They are not too different than the Congo clan, constantly invading other bordering Clans and causing problems, breaking into fights with other vampires almost daily. For a while they threatened to expose us to the humans, until Alec and Jane payed them a visit. Unathi never forgot that.’

‘Yeah, it’s not easy to forget Jane.’ You shudder, remembering all the amazing times you shared with the Vampire Barbie ‘What else?’

‘Then there is the Ethiopian Clan with Lanre who, along with the Egyptians, are very civilized and easy to converse with. I do not think they will cause any troubles, although they are at war with the South African Clan about who is going to rule Madagascar; they rule from Ethiopia, all the way down to Zimbabwe and Mozambique.’

His voice trails off and silence falls between the two of you, with only the sound of the engines and the soft rattling as it soars through the skies. Demetri looks drowned in his own world for a moment, something quite peculiar about the always alert Tracker and you don’t need your gut feeling to know something is up with him.

‘Who are you worried about?’ you calmly ask, looking him straight in the eye to know if the answer you get is the half-assed truth.

Yet, he only chuckles tiredly and his shoulders move with mirth ‘I cannot elude you at all?’

‘Not anymore Demetri.’

He sighs and for a moment closes his eyes. When he opens them again, the penetrating darkness is looking straight back at you once again.

‘It is the Moroccan Clan I am most worried about. Not the friendliest bunch as you will see right from the get go and even if they keep to themselves to an abnormal level, their rule over Morocco, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina, Benin and all the countries towards the Atlantic is something they keep very protected… Amun always kept an iron fist over his possessions…’

Haunted and merciless, his whole aura swifts to depths of darkness you had never seen occurring to the otherwise poised and level-headed man, no matter how close he liked to keep his secrets before you came in and tried to look behind the mask he offered everyone. Demetri always kept to himself and only recently started speaking about his true thoughts and emotions, a wall you had helped to bring down and worked everyday to release the man from the chains all those centuries of constant killing and treasons, brought. It was understandable of him not to want to think about things that stained his hands with all sorts of things, but to see him so unnerved, see him rattled and thrown off balance even in the mere name of his creator was enough to make sirens go off inside your mind. For a moment it’s like he doesn’t even breathe; he is faraway and withdrawn, completely dissociating with reality and you, looking beyond the confines of the airplane and towards memories that still lingered.

It must be so hard not to be able to forget, to constantly keep all memories -the good and the bad- intact inside your mind, ready to be dished out at a moment’s notice.

It pains you to see him like that ‘You don’t have to meet him if you don’t wanna.’

He nods ‘It is my duty to do.’ He swallows hard ‘Usually he sends a letter with his requests and accepts what we give him. But now, he will be attending himself; probably heard that I have found you and wants to torment everyone with his presence.’ He turns to look at you seriously, but instead of fear or confusion, he finds only calm resolve burning steadily inside your (e/c) orbs. It was simply your time to keep him safe and you’ll be damned to hell if you didn’t protect him fearlessly.

Your jaw sets calmly ‘Leave him to me. How bad he can be? No one can be a bigger dick than Caius.’ You joke with a chuckle, trying to lighten the mood.

Only to choke it down when he doesn’t.

‘Amun is rather…. bitter…. about me abandoning him and joining the Volturi; he likes to blame everyone than himself for all the misfortunes he is causing. One of which, is me leaving him.’ He nods solemnly ‘I know that I have not talked to you about my human years, or any years other than the ones I am with the Volturi Guard, but you must understand, they are centuries worth of memories that I would rather forget. Amun is part of these memories, if not a high contributor to them…’ his voice dies down and suddenly, he is no longer looking at you but _through _you.

‘How so?’

He blinks ‘Let us say that there are certain lines not even the Volturi want to cross. One of the reasons the old empires fell was because they had no regard for anything that surrounded them; preservation is key when you want to live forever.’ He comments ‘Caius and his actions are miniscule in contrast with what Amun has done in his centuries or life. Even today, he thinks Chelsea is to blame for manipulating me to swift sides; whereas, I chose the Volturi out of my own free will.’ He blinks again and when his black eyes focus on you, a chill runs down your spine in his soulless stare ‘Even the coldest of killers draw the line somewhere; monsters, on the other hand, do not.’

When you manage to talk, your voice sounds foreign even to your own ears ‘That bad huh?’

‘Let’s say I will not be taking my eyes off you even for a second. Amun and certain other individuals are extremely dangerous even for vampire standards. One wrong move and not even Aro can protect us-‘

‘Let them come.’ Icy and harsh like a whip, your voice interrupts his reverie and brings his attention away from the nightmare and back to you abruptly ‘I’m not scared of wannabe gods or immortal monsters. If there’s a God, may he have mercy, because I won’t.’

~ * ~

For the remaining hours of the trip, both you and Demetri decided it was best to busy yourselves with other matters in order to keep your minds off of things; it wouldn’t be long now for you to arrive to your destination and the vampire tracker made a point to have you try out some of the clothes he had specially tailored for you and your trip. Egypt is nothing like Forks or Volterra; warm weather and high temperatures last until well into November and you would have to dress accordingly. Plus, it was an official court where you were going and he would miss it not to have the finest of clothes tailored for you, from the best of the best designers in Italy. Of course, you had to abide with the rules of the country, which was more conservative than both the States and Italy, so most of the clothing was as less revealing as it could be.

Yet, you managed to make a game out of it; trying one pair of clothing after the other, you waltz out on the living space either swaying your hips seductively, trotting like a giraffe or skating on the polished floor. All where attempts to lighten the mood and take both your minds off things. Devious winks and loud laughter emanated the close space and by the time you trot out of the small room like a giraffe, Demetri laughs to his heart’s content, the sound loud and clear like the chime of a bell in the dead silence; hearty and genuine, it made your skin pepper itself with a faint blush as your heart accelerates and warmth radiates from your skin. Loving the sound, filing it away in your mind like a script on marble stone, closed within a precious box and tucked away safely to treasure forever. Yet by the time it stops, you have already wrapped your hands around his broad shoulders and lean in to kiss him fearlessly before you both lose yourselves in one another.

When the plane eventually lands on the airport, you are checking the last details on your dress; it is made out of the finest white silk, reaching all the way down to your ankles, effectively covering every single inch of your skin in what appears to be angelically made silk; it surprisingly is both covering and cooling against your skin and you feel like a princess in it, especially with the embroidered sleeves in the shape of spring [flowers](https://sc01.alicdn.com/kf/HTB1HW7fSFXXXXbWXpXXq6xXFXXXR/224496243/HTB1HW7fSFXXXXbWXpXXq6xXFXXXR.jpg). Paired with brown sandals and a matching hijab draped over your head and shoulders -effectively hiding both skin and hair-, you felt ready to go as Demetri slithered his hands around your stomach from behind and rested his chin on your shoulder, looking at you through the mirror with his eyes filled with heat. From his part, he is wearing a black linen button under shirt and matching pants, which underlined discretely his high status and matched with the warm weather without risking his skin exposed; at least for the most part.

‘Are you ready mio amore?’ he simply says, and you nod.

‘Let’s kick some ass.’

The moment the door of the airplane opens, you are greeted by a wave of raw warm air wafting inside the aircraft in a single heartbeat, hugging your cold skin mellowly but insistently, pulling your attention to stay alert and promising you days filled with brightness. Blinding, the sun envelopes your whole vision for a single moment when you walk out on the staircase, making you raise your hand to block it and allow your (e/c) orbs a moment to adjust; for a single second, the whole world stands still as the sun kisses your (s/c) skin and the air offers a warm welcome that reaches deep down to your soul and awakens it along with your power. Keenly aware of your inhale, you feel an electric current wash over you from head to toe as you sense the energy pulsing in the air vividly, a stark contrast with the cold stillness of Forks.

When you are finally able to take in the scenery, you are taken aback by the vivid colours exploding all around you; from the brightly painted buildings, to the rich greenery sprouting at every corner, to the kindly smiling people waiting for you. The sun has long ago kissed their skin forever and warmed their hearts to the brim, eyes glistening with the joyfulness of the stars as they greet you and lead you promptly toward a very luxurious black limo with dark windows; Demetri rests his hand on the small of your back, hiding his skin the best he can from the sun and leading you hastily to the car, where the chauffer -who is obviously a vampire by the way his veins turn abyssal black on his neck- opens the door and ushers you inside.

‘It will take us just a few hours to get to the palace.’ Demetri advices as the car gets moving, ignoring the way your jaw falls at the news.

‘The WHAT now?’

Alexandria is as breath-taking as a city can get.

In your time with the Volturi, you had visited cities you had only seen through the TV or on advertisements about exotic destinations; yet Alexandria simply took your breath away the same way but on a different level than when you visited Andalucía. On the one side, modern buildings were standing tall beside the huge highways crossing through the city, contemporary and brand new, yet mostly consisting either of companies or flats that could house people; a few people were coming and going and some had even hung their laundry out for the sun to dry. Families playing together, friends chatting animatedly and a few old people here and there selling various delicacies on the streets for the ravenous passers-by. Beautiful fountains springing with water in intricate patterns, glass buildings shining brightly under the sun or skyscrapers splitting the blue in half were everywhere.

Yet on the other hand, the ancient buildings that stubbornly sprouted on every corner gave the whole place a conflicting aura: modern met antiquity and everyone’s tastes were met and even had plenty more to go with; from the ancient mosques and grand palaces from times long before your time -now abandoning their previous glory to become museums- where everywhere. The white marble, the burnt red of sand and time, the elaborate patterns that were hand-carved on every surface like the careful caress of a lover, everything combines to make past and future meet in a fierce embrace.

Feeling like a little kid, you relish in turning your head towards every direction in a desperate try to take everything in, feeling your heart pound against your chest excitedly; beside you, Demetri was calmly explaining the history to each and every single architectural wonder you were looking at, his smile patient and his kind eyes flooding with more and more red as he gazed with affection at your beaming face.

It doesn’t take long to abandon the city behind you and venture deep into the desert, the barren land forming foothills of various sizes made from powder-like and soft looking red sand, reaching all the way to the distant horizon. Heat emanates from every possible corner, altering the air and making it wave visibly enough, yet the interior of the limo continued to be cool and refreshing; thank you technology! For a strange reason, the more you left the city behind you towards your unknown destination, the more you felt your stomach sink in you; being with Demetri surely was enough to instil a sense of security, but it was also true that you never were so far away from civilization. Now, if anything happened, for the slightest reason, you highly doubt there would be anyone around to help you who wasn’t an immortal. Leaning back to your seat, you take Demetri’s hand in yours and play with his fingers absentmindedly; the sun was well up in the sky by now and the sand followed the blow of the wind obediently. Exchanging a few words with Demetri, the man sensed your unease and threw a comforting hand around your body, pulling you close; it was easy to hear your heart pounding loudly.

Which only came to a stop when you reached huge marble walls, littered with guards cradling dangerous guns.

‘We are almost at the palace.’ Demetri says as you pass by, sand giving its place to luxurious emerald grass.

Eventually the car comes to a stop right in front of a massive building. Demetri is the first to exit and next thing you know, the door is opening and the man courtly offers you his hand; with your blood running utterly cold, you take it and exit as well, allowing your jaw to drop in complete an utter awe.

Right in front of your awestruck eyes, was something straight out of a history book.

White marble of the most pristine type covered the entire ground where you were standing, adorned with mosaics formed to depict various Hellenistic shapes and symbols, shining brightly under the desert sun like the most precious of diamonds. Two huge obelisks engraved with Egyptian hieroglyphics stood on both sides of the path, towering well above the luxurious gardens overflowing with all shorts of plants and flowers, carefully tucked under the cool shade of the ancient looking olive trees; everything was arranged with insane precision, leading the visitor to two sets of marble-made stairs, covered with ruby red carpet with gold trimmings. The building on the end of the path was something like a mixture of Egyptian and Hellenic; pillars in Ionian style and decorated with gossamer drapes gently moving on the faint breeze, sturdily supported the grand golden gable, which was shaped with depictions of various people and gods from ancient Egypt.

Flanked by other grand buildings in the back, it had no windows or doors, save for the road leading up the stairs and towards a grand set of golden embedded doors. Guards were coming and going through the pathways, covered from head-to-toe in white clothing, leaving only their eyes uncovered; it wasn’t hard at all to see the burgundy red nail on you, pointed out by the pure white. Tension fills the air as Demetri takes your hand courtly and leads you towards the building, every step followed by keen eyes that bathed the back of your neck in cold sweat; swallowing hard, you feel your powers tingle to life, energizing your skin and making your hair stand on edge. Demetri keeps his cool, hand tight in yours and posture sharp and careful, ready to place himself between you and any threat that might arise despite his nonchalant smile and carefree humming; he looks straight ahead, never acknowledging anyone but you, but you can feel the vibrations of the low growl coming from deep within his chest. Rolling your shoulders back, you bring your chin up and grace none with a gaze; fuck them all, you have the fucking **_Volturi _**to back you up and a single word to them and the order to wipe them all out would come much faster than they can run.

No one is going to intimidate you anymore.

No one will look down on you.

In the mere thought, your soul relishes. Breathing becomes easier and your heart levels tremendously, as your (e/c) orbs blink and when they open back up, the world seems yours for the taking. Demetri’s hand is cool and reassuring in your own and turning to him, his eyes flood with mirth as you grace him with a wide smile, earning a mischievous one back and a butterfly kiss on your knuckles, before you reach the grand double doors, where two vampires pull it open to reveal the cool and shady interior.

‘Holy mother of-‘

‘It is rather magnificent is it not? Preserved exactly as it was all those millennia ago.’ Demetri smiles.

All you could say, was that it was a palace throne room.

Right across from you, in the far back of the room and elevated by three steps, was a golden chair, decorated with fluffy and comfortable looking sapphire cushions, right in front of the feet of a huge golden statue of a female Pharaoh with the red sun of Horus resting on her head. Light flooded the space from huge glass windows above the statue, illuminating the painted scenes from various myths that graced the ceiling, some depicting humans, others animals and a weird mixture of the two; going down, the marble walls were laced with pure gold torches and frames, gently shimmering under the light. The floor was covered with a luxurious sapphire carpet that made your feet sink pleasantly in them, while the golden columns that supported the ceiling were also draped with transparent white curtains, gingerly waving in the faint breeze. Everything smelled of myrrh and sandalwood, a murderously sweet combination that suffocated your senses. Yet what drew your eyes immediately, more than the excessively luxurious decorations and what-not, were the two female statues on each side of the carpet and the detailed tapestries behind them, weaved expertly on ancient looking thread.

One of them, the one immediately on your left, gave off an aura of authority even if she was made simply out of marble [marble](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a2/Demeter_Altemps_Inv8546.jpg/220px-Demeter_Altemps_Inv8546.jpg). She was wearing a long dress that hugged her voluptuous figure and reached all the way down to her ankles, with a chiton draped over her left shoulder and hand. One of her legs was firmly planted on the ground, while the other was bend, half-way to make a step forward; her right hand was reaching forward in an inviting gesture, palm open and facing upwards as the other hand pointed gently downwards. Her face was looking straight ahead, hair pulled back and face firm and unmoving. Behind her, the ancient tapestry was blooming with ruby red poppies exploding everywhere on the surface, mixed with golden coloured wheat.

Without realizing it, your feet come to a stop.

The other one, right across from the woman closer to you, was unyielding and deceptively [calm](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/ce/AMI_-_Isis-Persephone.jpg/330px-AMI_-_Isis-Persephone.jpg). A perfect half-moon hairpin rested on top of her hair, framed by a beautifully sculpted cloak and curls reaching down to touch her shoulders. She was completely covered by her dresses and cloak, yet her figure was gently pointed out; one of her hands held something you couldn’t recognize, while the other rested on her side making no movements to reach for the woman across from her, only gazing at her coldly. Behind her, the tapestry was graced by what appeared to be a huge pomegranate tree, silver-coloured and surrounded by pitch black thread.

Yet for a strange reason, it was the first statue that drew your attention, almost a silent whisper that had you bewitched even by simply standing right before her; you did try to place it in your memories from the History courses you had at school and what you had seen in your trips all over Europe and if you were to take a wild guess-

‘Demeter. Mother of everything walking this earth. No wonder you fancy her more, beloved Distorter.’ A feminine and youthful voice breaks you out of your reverie and snapping towards the sound, you find a breath-taking [woman](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/8b/12/f1/8b12f1e5f62b0a59563339c0266fa61a.jpg) looking at both of you with a genuine smile, burgundy eyes shining under the ambient light and hands carefully tucked right before her, elegantly resting against her lower tummy and making her look just as marble and frozen as the statue right beside you.

‘She does happen to be the mother of all Distorters, like her daughter Persephone-‘ she points to the other statue ‘Is the Mother of everything living underneath the earth and the creator of us Vampires.’

In her presence, you see Demetri straighten his back in attention from the corner of your eye, offering her a formal smile which she reciprocates in earnest. She’s just a few inches taller than you, with flawless brown skin with a tint of chalkiness and beautiful lithe body and seems to flow elegantly with every move she makes. Her dark brown curls are pulled back with a hairpin that reached to decorate her forehead -diamonds and silver only accentuating her characteristics- and she was wearing a silver beaded dress that reached all the way down to the floor. When she smiles, you feel a jolt of an emotion you can’t really place inside your heart, but it is not a threatening one, more on the curious side of things.

‘It is very kind of you to host us this time of the decade for the festival’ Demetri smiles a dazzling smile to her with an inclination of his head ‘We hope not to bring you any trouble.’

In his words, she leans her head to the side and smiles a full-teethed smile ‘Always so uptight Demetri. One would think you did not live a day in your life within those walls. Or enjoyed its _amenities._’ She winks teasingly but her tone is airy and light before her red eyes turn to you with a tint of curiosity ‘Your reputation precedes you ____ ______ Air Distorter, last living descendant of the Distorter Clan. Allow me to welcome you in my humble home; my name is Cleopatra Thea, the Seventh of my name, Philopator, Queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, Last Pharaoh of Egypt.’

Alright j-just give you a second now, who?!

WHO just welcomed you in her not-so-humble big ass fucking palace of gold in the middle of the freaking desert? Cleopatra herself? Cleopatra? The! Cleop….. alright, you believe you need a moment to lie down a bit because your head is spinning and your eyes are probably going to bulge out of your sockets and what the absolute fuck is that sibilant sound ringing an-

‘Give her just a few moments Cleopatra, it is a lot to take in for a human.’ Demetri’s amused voice sounds from the side and an adorable chuckle ensures.

‘Oh my, did I break her already?’

‘Y-you are Cleopatra.’ You look up to her, not really seeing her with all the buzzing in your head but doing your best to listen to the voices in your head telling you not to embarrass your fucking self ‘THE Cleopatra. How, how….. oh boi. Excuse my fangirling for a moment please.’

‘Fangirling?’

‘It is a human term for being over-excited.’ Demetri patiently informs her, before wrapping a hand on your waist and pulls you to his side just in case you decided to pass out; but you don’t. Instead you calm yourself down, inhaling a deep breath through your nose and collect yourself, squaring your shoulders and gazing straight at her patient self.

‘Please excuse me, it takes a while to register that I’m standing in the presence of one of my favourite queens. Thank you so much for having us.’ You say formally and bow a court bow in front of her, only to find her chuckling merrily into her hand as her red eyes fill with mirth.

‘No need to bow to me, beloved _____, you and I are nothing but equal sisters in the eyes of our Goddesses.’ She winks ‘I am looking forward in getting to know you; I have been informed you require some medical assistance other than overlooking the procedures of the meetings. Is it true?’ she raises her delicate eyebrow in your direction, and you nod.

‘Yes, Master Aro has probably contacted you about it.’

She nods ‘Both him and the Cullen. Lots of my kind care about your well-being _____ and upon meeting you, I can surely see why. Antony is the best healer to walk this earth; humans and vampires alike come from all over the world for his gifts. Though I have to warn; his powers are not without limitations.’ She gives you a knowing look ‘But enough about that, you are probably tired. Let me escort you to your quarters and then we shall discuss everything over dinner.’

With that, she turns on her heel and walks off, leaving you to exchange a look with Demetri, before looping your hand through his elbow and follow behind the queen. Taken further inside the luxurious and enormous palace, all made out of the most pristine marble and adorned with all the luxuries you could very well have read about in stories within history books. Statues and golden plates with hieroglyphics could be found here and there, banners portraying long lost history or legend stories hung from the ceiling and various servants -both human and vampire alike- ventured hurriedly through the rooms, trying to cater to the every whim of the guests staying here. Curiously, you could see that they had a little perk on their step, in contrast with the servants back in Volterra, who were more poised and unmoving; maybe it was the bright sun shining through the windows or the skylights in the ceiling, maybe it was the wind gently rocking the curtains or maybe it was the ambient light that engulfed the whole place up from every possible corner, in total contrast with the stale and humid air of the Volturi palace combined with the lack of natural light and windows, but you realised everything felt easier and a lot more carefree around here.

Cleopatra was also one gracious host. Making small talk with both of you as you walked through the enormous palace, she patiently answered all your questions about her age and how many things she has seen in her entire lifetime; from the fall of the actual Roman Empire, to the Vampire Wars with the Romanians, to the World Wars. Yes, surely Demetri complained about why you hadn’t asked him about all these, but if you were completely honest, it felt different to ask someone you had never met, than someone you had grown used to having by your side and totally forgot the years that divided you. Maybe it was just you, you don’t know and the sheepish smile you give Demetri does little to absolve the creases of annoyance from his face, but he eventually gets over it and busies himself with teasing you about it instead.

By the time you reached your room quarters -a sentence that sounded strange in your ears- Cleopatra informed you that you’ll be expected in the dining hall in around two hours, before pushing the door open and letting you relax and refresh yourselves.

Of course, one step into the room and you simply felt your stomach drop in awe.

‘Home sweet home.’ Demetri teases, before wrapping his hands around your waist and planting a kiss in the base of your neck.

Consisting of three separate huge rooms, your room housed a huge living room area, decorated with luxurious and plush sofas with extremely fluffy pillows littering both the sofas and the marble floor here and there, complete with a small fountain right in the middle of the room; a gorgeous statue of Artemis decorated the middle, spurting clean water out of the point of her arrow as she drew her bow. There was also a huge dining table off to the right side, with huge platers of freshly picked fruits of every kind on them; from pineapples to berries and even watermelon, they just begged to be eaten -of course a huge pint of cold water was not forgotten.

Right across the room, were two doors, one leading to a huge bathroom on the left, complete with a jacuzzi and a small hammam pool instead of a bathtub, overlooking the back gardens and with no glass on the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, only curtains that were almost see-through -which you didn’t know how to feel about, but checking here and there, nobody could really see you from the gardens since you were on the third floor of the palace. On the other door, on the right, was just a huge bed -three times bigger than any king-sized bed you had ever seen- along with a walk-in closet for the both of you, already filled with exceptionally beautiful dresses that were your precise size; pulling one out, you discover they are much more extravagant than the ones you had in Volterra and probably twice the price, so you make a mental note to thank Cleopatra.

Everything was gorgeous around you, but your favourite detail was the fact that the ceiling was in a beautiful Mandala ancient Greek key meander circle pattern, with the ceiling gone in everything but the intricate flower pattern, leaving it open to gaze at the beautiful sky above; which would definitely be a sight to behold once the sun goes down. That and the huge balconies surrounding the entire room was what you loved above all else, since they chased away the feeling of claustrophobia and the walls closing on you.

‘Can we just live here for the rest of time?’ you exclaim, spinning on your feet and beaming at Demetri who laughs at the pure excitement written over your face.

‘Cleopatra would see to it if she hears you.’

Focusing on the little time you had, both of you start getting ready for dinner; taking a quick shower, you keep clear of Demetri and his advances -knowing full well that if you give in, dinner will be the last thing on your mind- and venture into the closet, picking an amazing deep orange satin [dress](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/6e/ad/ab/6eadab3b2f8c323f151b1e5473f2fefd.jpg) with a halter neckline and no sleeves, that reached all the way down to your ankles, decorated with intricate flower patters around the torso and the edge of your feet; pairing them with flat shoes and pulling your (h/c) up in a messy ponytail, you do a turn in front of the mirror to check it is perfect from all angles before joining Demetri in the living room, with the man also changed in something more comfortable; this time he had chosen a pure white set of shirt and long pants, matching perfectly with his frosted blond locks and dazzling red eyes.

By the time you reach the dining room, Cleopatra is conversing with a man you hadn’t seen before in a language you did not recognize at all, which sounded a bit rough around the edges of every word; the moment you enter hand-in-hand with Demetri, her head perks up and two pairs of burgundy coloured eyes nail themselves on you before the woman clasps her hands together and hastily comes over.

‘I hope you enjoyed the amenities of your room, dear _____ and Demetri.’ She says ‘Please let the servants know if you require anything further.’

Demetri offers one of his mind-blowing smiles, nodding to both ‘Everything was perfect my Queen and once again thank you for having us in your house. I see you are well Antony; it has certainly been a while.’

The man standing right beside Cleopatra nods politely to Demetri, but his eyes never stray from your own, curiosity painted vividly over the burgundy while his eyebrows are raised in pleasant surprise; he was just an inch or two taller than you and shorter than Cleopatra and the moment you see him, you are reminded of the Roman legionnaires you see in movies about the Roman Empire. He is of short and extremely lean built, with salt and pepper coloured short hair that fall neatly over his small forehead and his cat-shaped, clever eyes that had long dark circles underneath, only accentuating his dark characteristics and pale white skin. Bushy eyebrows, long big nose and thin lips that are pulled into a pleased smile combine to create a rather strangely beautiful face paired with the litheness of his characteristics, despite the fact his muscles are till evident under his thin clothes. He looks young, barely thirty years of age and tired; oh so tired. One hand on Cleopatra’s waist and the other holding a golden cup which you highly doubted contained wine, you half expected a servant to come in and start feeding him grapes while he ponders over philosophical matters.

‘Demetri, it would be rather peculiar to see me out of the palace. So many patients to see, no time to visit you in Volterra anymore.’ He reluctantly looks at your man but his aura doesn’t betray any malice, while Demetri doesn’t seem worried at all; on the contrary, he seems to be beaming with pride as he tightens his grip on your hand ‘Bringing such a rare treasure with you though, is quite the surprise.’ His voice is surprisingly light and feminine sounding and he sounds eternally amused.

‘_____, this is Markus Antonius, Consul and Triumvir of the Roman Republic and Consort of Queen Cleopatra.’ Demetri introduces you to the man, who takes your hand gingerly in his and places a chaste kiss.

‘My friends and my Queen call me Antony. Very honoured to meet you little Distorter.’ He says ‘Though certainly I would prefer it to be under different circumstances.’

You raise an eyebrow ‘Different how?’

His smile widens but it looks more sad than pleased ‘You are in desperate need of my gifts are you not?’

‘Unfortunately’ you sigh ‘The life in the Volturi Guard has definitely wore my powers off a little bit.’

‘Yet not many mortals can say they survived an ordeal like that; I have seen enough battles and slaughter in my lifetime and yet not even I would choose a life like that.’ He admits, but Cleopatra rolls her eyes right beside him, lips pushed into a thin line.

‘He says that because there are no armies to back him up anymore. Though give him an armour and he shall definitely find a way.’ She jabs him good-naturedly and he laughs.

‘Rome needed me regina mea. But now it is but a distant memory.’ He says ‘Just like we thought your Tribe was _____; yet here you are, the last of the Distorter clan with her powers diminishing every single day. How fleeting your lives are… here today, gone the next one.’

As calm and aloof as he sounds, his words never fail to make Demetri turn rigid right beside you, his whole body completely seizing to move and turning into a marble statue of coldness right where he was standing; a low growl can be heard buzzing from his chest -one noticed by none other than you- and instinctively you start rubbing his knuckles just to soothe the tension away. Cleopatra notices the subtle move and expertly proposes for all of you to move to the table, where an extravagant meal for the human you are laid out, along with some golden pints with what you guessed was blood for them. One try from the nearest food and you are already melting along with the butter in your mouth as they all continue with their conversations.

‘Are you expecting many guests for the festival my Queen?’ Demetri politely asks, bringing his cup to his lips and sipping the ruby liquid delicately, while his other hand rests on the back of your chair.

‘Quite a few this time; it so happens that the Festival falls with the Blood Moon this year, so we shall be hosting the celebrations for the Eleusinian Mysteries. Calypso and Circe will be coming from Greece to guide the celebrations and a few human and vampire friends will be joining us as well.’ She confesses ‘I believe we have spent too much time without celebrations; most of the other Clans will bring their people as well, so I thought it best to invite some of my own.’

‘Parties are better in good company indeed.’ Demetri agrees politely.

‘Won’t they get in the way of the meetings though?’ you ask her, genuine curiosity painting your voice.

She simply shrugs ‘If everyone behaves, not so much. They are my guests in the end of the day and I do expect full cooperation if they are under my roof. Even by the… _most_… unconventional ones.’

It is Demetri’s turn to chuckle darkly this time, eyes cold and calculating ‘That might prove to be a challenge, given the fact that we are also here to manage the requests. Our Masters are keen to see how they propose we deal with the hostilities in the South.’

Cleopatra seems amused ‘While I do hope to keep things civilized, the Volturi law is **_absolute_** in this palace for as long as I have it.’

‘We need someone willing to tame the beasts; even if that someone is a mortal currently.’ Antony perks up and throws you a look ‘Do not hesitate in the face of imminent danger; you have allies willing to back you up even against the more **_rascal_** of our kind.’

Swallowing hard, you square your shoulders and offer the most dangerous smile you can muster ‘I’m not scared of anyone; I’ve killed enough vampires to instil fear even in the most fearless of your kind.’

‘Especially now that our master Aro has promoted her in Head of the Volturi Guard.’ Comes the unexpected comment from Demetri and you can practically feel the wheels of your mind freeze and break.

‘What?!’

‘My my _______, if that does not make them kiss the very ground you stand upon, then I do not know what will.’ Cleopatra playfully messes with you, eyes twinkling with mischief.

Snapping your attention fully to Demetri, you demand to know what he is on about ‘What do you mean Head of the Guard?! I’m a human! Jane is going to flip her shit, and no one will actually take me seriously! What is Aro thinking giving me something like that?!’

Stoically, Demetri turns his breath-taking red eyes to offer you one of his smiles that sends shivers down your spine and turn your legs into mush; he seems utterly pleased with himself and the dangerous look only brings more shadows over his eyes as he stares at you, taking your hand in both his and rubbing your knuckles he tries to pacify you. The move is soothing and deliberate and you feel your heartbeat accelerate, making all vampires inside the room know just how much he could rattle you with one single touch.

‘It is a title you have earned yourself _____. Aro believes that your decisions will only benefit us all more than what anyone else could achieve, so he grands you the power to decide what is best. It is but a sure way to amplify your voice and if you were to ask me, it is a decision long due to be made.’

**~ ~ * * ~ ~**

For the entire duration of the dinner, you pass it just simply listening in to the stories shared by the three vampires all around you, mind being all too confused and rattled to do anything but silently nod away and smile. Demetri held onto your hand tightly and reassuringly under the table, a gentle reminded that you had to breathe and not fry anything inside your brain; at least not now. By the time dinner finished, Demetri excused both of you and escorted you back to your room, before saying that he had to hunt tonight if your treatment was to start tomorrow like Antony wanted. Of course, you agreed and with a lingering kiss on your lips, you find yourself alone inside the vast room with only your thoughts to keep you company.

Sighing deeply, you make your way straight to the balcony of the bedroom since staying within the walls feels constricting and dizzying at this moment, so as you step out in the warm summer breeze, you exhale deeply all of your worries and fears. Honestly, Aro’s decision once again had caught you by surprise and you didn’t really know what to make of it as you gazed over the sand hills spreading outside of the palace; the sun had already started to set and the first stars had made their appearance over the clear horizon. It’s strange of him to do something like that; you a human, Head of the Volturi Guard was not only unheard of, but placed you in immediate danger you’d be unable to protect yourself from now that you were dying. And how were you supposed to tell Demetri that if it came down to your life, you had no more energy to fuel your powers with… of course you’d meet opposition from the vampire Clans, they were not used of taking orders from a human…

So, what was Aro thinking?

Did he want to kill you and be done already?

Are you to die right here?

Will Demetri finally see you draw your last breath?

The tranquillity and relaxing calmness are suddenly cut by the sound of your phone going off. Rolling your eyes and sighing deeply, you turn on your heel and walk towards the annoying device, cursing whoever it was that was calling you in this ungodly hour; let’s be honest, nobody ever called you, with only exception being the Cullens and Bella and that was when they needed something in return. So, imagine your surprise when you see Felix’s name flashing insistently over the screen.

‘Hello? Felix?’ you practically squeal in surprise and excitement when you press the button, almost becoming completely ultrasonic.

In response, Felix laughs full-heartedly from the other side of the line and you’d be lying if you didn’t admit it was a sound you had missed ‘_How have you been little human?! Long time no talk, you completely forgot us all back here! Though I’m guessing love will do that to ya.’_

Huffing to yourself, you roll your eyes ‘What can I say, I do keep myself busy. How’s everyone back home?’

_‘Good, don’t you worry. We are betting how long it will take you to kill someone over there; you won all the bets about not killing anyone in Forks.’_

Raising an eyebrow, you laugh ‘Can’t say it didn’t prove to be hard…’

‘_Werewolves can be some annoying son-of-a-bitches right? They make good coats for the cold though._’

‘It was tempting’ you admit ‘But nothing Demetri couldn’t stop me from.’

_‘Ah, I’m sure Demetri’s not only helping you with that am I right?’_ Felix teases ‘_All those centuries of waiting, I’d think you died along the way.’_

‘What makes you think I won’t tire him to death?’ you joke.

_‘The fact that this poor bastard’s been waiting forever and that you’re too much of a badass to die. Finally you’ll both stop with the moon eyed stares of longing from across the room and the sexual tension; it was doing my head in with both you idiots._’ Felix admits and you can practically see him raise his hands in defence _‘Not that the mutual angst wasn’t interesting to see.’_

‘I’m glad we gave you something entertaining.’ You laugh, plopping yourself on the plush bed ‘I missed you Felix. Both you and Alec. I really hope this ends soon so we can come back.’ You sigh, passing a hand through your (h/c) locks in frustration.

_ ‘It’s for your own good, _____. We miss you too -hell, Alec’s more brooding than Jane after all this time- but you need to get bett-‘_

‘I’m not going to get better Felix.’ You interrupt him, angrily blinking away the tears that have started to burn your eyes. Thank God Demetri isn’t here, thank dark lord Voldemort!

It always was hard to lie to Felix. Sure it was rather hard for you to lie, full stop, but the vampire Hercules and the bond you had created through all this time together was something that called for honesty right from the get go; it was just so easy for him to see right through you -more easy than Demetri who would see you through his feelings for you- but for the Vamp-Everest, it was all the little cues he could see and the frankness and honesty he spoke to you with that did the trick. So hearing his voice now, so happy and excited for you, brought back all those pent up emotions you could no longer easily hide from Demetri; because it was only easy for you to hide what was really going on from the love of your life, but not from the one that was going to stay with him after you are gone. And that is a simple fact that does a number on people, with you being no exception.

_‘____ are you alright, did that idiot hurt your feelings? I swear to god he’s thick in the head!’_

Nodding vigorously -despite him not being able to see you- you try to form coherent words through the tears and sobs that are already here and are currently attacking you from every possible corner ‘N-no Felix, i-it’s not that. It’s me that’s the p-problem. I have a few months left to live Felix; only a few months.’

With that declaration and the way Felix drops utterly silent on the other side of the line, everything comes out of you in one go. How your powers have started diminishing, how horribly you were pushed to use them in various occasions in Forks -especially by the werewolves- all the way to Carlisle’s examinations and results. How you were going to die just as you have found Demetri and how you’ve been lying to him every single day by hiding the truth and how you are going to leave him all alone the moment you die, because you highly doubt Antony will be able to truly help you; all those pent up emotions and pain come rushing out, a cathartic way that finally eases the strain on your soul a little bit. Felix doesn’t interrupt you not even once, allowing you to cry it out, breathe through the sobs and the tears, patiently waiting to hear the whole story. He only asked a few questions here and there about your condition and what can really be done.

‘So I will most certainly die and I’ll leave Demetri all alone again. Aro also made me the Head of the Volturi Guard and practically signed my death.’ You finally conclude, sniffling loudly and wiping the tears and snot on a small tissue before throwing it along the others, forming a true circle of used tissues all around you.

From the other side of the line, Felix sighs seriously ‘_Aro is only making sure they know you have the Volturi’s blessing to boss them around _______. And also, I cannot say that I agree with you lying to Demetri. The poor bastard will be crushed and last time the mere thought of something happening to you almost drove him over. Imagine what this will do to him.’_

‘I c-c-ant tell him Felix; it will crush him from now and I do not want to be a vampire at all-‘

_‘I can understand that, but you are no longer someone that has familial bonds that will inevitably die at some point_.’ He admits ‘_Hard as that sounds, you only have us now and we have you. By dying, you are going to crush immortal spirits forever; you’ve seen how Marcus is. Aro will not allow Demetri to die, so he’ll end up just like him.’ _He sighs_._

‘I know and it does hurt so much. But I can’t Felix, I will not jeopardise my soul and the possibility of seeing my dad again; hell, we don’t even know if the transition itself won’t kill me!’

He seems to think of it for a moment _‘I understand what you’re saying little human. But you are no longer alone in this; others hang from your decisions as well. It’s not fair to shut them out when they keep you in.’_

‘What do you suggest I do then? I love him so, so much but I can’t turn. I simply can’t!’

He seems to think of it for a bit. The other side of the line gets so quiet that you have to actually pull and look at the phone to make sure he hasn’t hung up on you, but surely, he was still there. When he does speak, his voice is coloured a tint you can’t quite place; it seems like he has an idea but not entirely sure about it.

_‘When you’ll be gone, Demetri will most probably be inconsolable; the only way to keep that from happening is to stay here and survive. But if you can’t do that, then I would suggest giving him something of yours to keep him going. Something _**living**_ of yours that will continue to live even when you are long gone from this world. There is time for it and there are ways; people that can help you will come to the palace on the following days. Ask them; where there is will, there is always a way.’_

Puzzling you even further with that last one, he excuses himself and promises to call again. For the time being, he just suggests you to raw Demetri as much as you can and enjoy the party; the problems can surely wait for a little bit and worrying constantly won’t help at all. With that, he hangs up, leaving you to your thoughts.

Something living of yours that will survive long after you are gone…

Picking your corpse up, you decide it is late enough and it will probably be wise to go to sleep before Demetri makes it back to the palace. Cleaning the tissues from all around the bed, you make your way to the bathroom, stripping from your clothes and entering the shower in order to let the water wash away your sins and worries for just tonight at least, before slipping to some comfortable pyjamas and crash on the luxurious bed with the grace of a trotting hippo. Staring at the ceiling like it could reveal all the mysteries of the world. Allowing the gentle breeze creeping in through the huge windows, smelling of sand and grass, lull you to sleep; the travels of the past days and all the information and worries slowly dying away from your mind as you are pulled into a restless sleep.

_Giggling and childish laughter breaks through the silence of the forest around you, with the old and huge pine trees that reach all the way to obscure the bright blue sky above your head as you giggle and run behind the other kids, skilfully making a beeline through the trees and careful enough not to step on the poppies or edelweiss that you so much love. Laughter bubbles through your chest, loud and clear, surfacing to reverberate through the vast valleys of the forest as your tiny feet carry you as quickly as they can go, the rest of the village kids hot on your tracks but the wind was and always will be your ally. Picking your pace up, making your feet light as feathers, carrying you with exceptional care up and off into the wind, laughing and enjoying every single minute of it._

_ Not a single care in the whole wide world is in your mind; with a fistful of wild flowers in one hand and another flower crown in your head, you just had enough time to play a bit before all of you would be called back into the village to celebrate the summer solstice that marked another year filled with prosperity and health. Everyone was getting ready as crazy today, pulling together all the necessary seats, decorating the entire village with flowers and wreaths and preparing for the big feast you were going to have around the fire tonight. Let’s just hope that grandpa Hector would be well rested to say one of his stories tonight, about the strange gods and goddesses you oh so much loved to hear. The other kids of course were a tiny tinie bit scared, but not you! You were almost seven years old now! Maybe, just maybe, the Masters from the mountains would come to celebrate with you just this once. You had heard mom and dad talk about their war still going on, but that things were turning better for them, so who knows, maybe they’ll come to play with you._

_ ‘____ wait up!’_

_ Turning your head, you see the other kids almost catching up to you as you fly through the air and decide you had enough of winning them. Gently, you flow back down into the ground and wait for the rest of them, rolling on the balls of your heels merrily, smiling brightly._

_ ‘Mom promised to make me apple pie. Hurry up everyone!’_

_‘N-no fair, my mom says desserts make your teeth go bad!’ one of the boys pouts his little lips adorably, only to get scoffed by one of the other girls._

_ ‘Only if you don’t wash after dummy.’ She rolls her eyes ‘Anyway, you don’t deserve dessert since you don’t have any powers yet!’_

_ ‘Hey, no fair!’ he screams, offended ‘Dad says it’ll be any minute now!’_

_ ‘Oh yeah? Well mine came a year ago and I’m younger than you.’ The girl says and opening her hand, you barely have time to see a spark before vivid red flames ignite in her open palm, dancing gingerly without hurting her skin at all._

_ All the kids gather around her with a chorus of ‘ooo’ and ‘aaaa’’s as she proudly extends her hand for everyone to see, but you chose to look at it from afar; fire scares you more than you’d like to admit, no matter the fact that your mom uses it every single day._

_ With your precious little wooden village, it is rather **dangerous**._

_ Screams erupt everywhere._

And you bolt up on the bed, back in Egypt. Drenched in sweat, breathless and with a huge headache trying to crack your skull in half.


	43. Chapter 39 Of Stories and Pain

If you liked something about the majestic palace, was the fact that everything smelt of summertime. Walking down the serene and spotless hallways, feet bare upon the cold marble and white silk dress rustling with every move you made, playfully dancing around your knees and exposing much of your shoulders and [cleavage](https://angelosbratis.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/CE9A7135-1920x1280.jpg) -without being promiscuous of course- it was the perfect combination of warmth from the endless desert and coldness from the floor and Demetri’s comforting hand into your right one. Everything felt different here; the aura of grandiose and authority still lingered, but it was not suffocating like it was back in Volterra, just an afterthought in the back of your mind. Everyone smiled brightly here; human and vampire servants alike blended in with one another, enjoying the strong sun cascading through the glassless floor-to-ceiling windows.

‘We can always take a walk through the gardens when you come back later tonight.’ Demetri’s voice reaches your ears, pulling your attention to the breath-taking vampire smiling down to you lazily.

Even he appeared at ease, no fake smiles, no controlled actions to a fault. Only warmth inside those burgundy orbs you had fallen in love with and he seems right at home.

‘It’s bad to admit I prefer it here than back in Volterra, isn’t it?’ you huff out as you gesture around, and he chuckles.

‘Humans tend to enjoy the sun a lot more and the Clock Tower does not exactly provide it.’ He says, ‘Cleopatra will be thrilled to hear that.’

With that, he brings your entwined hands up to rest a chaste kiss onto your fingers tenderly.

‘You seem just as excited Volturdoggie.’ You chuckle and squeeze your entwined hands, not that he would notice it in any way.

‘Greece was always bathed in light exactly like here. I am afraid it is a trait I carried with me despite my immortality.’

‘No coffins and run-down castles then?’ you tease.

‘Only on the weekends.’ He winks deviously ‘A vampire that likes the sun; we have seen stranger things I believe.’

Truly, you had seen stranger things than that. Yet that was a conversation for another time, as you made your way towards Mark Antony’s quarters for your first healing session you were going to share; Demetri offered to accompany you as usual, not wanting to let you away from his sight even for a second and to be completely truthful to yourself, you had missed simply existing beside one another without a single worry to plague your minds. Because for just this moment, you had allowed yourself not to think of anything, content in simply watching the light from the sun dance on his paper white skin, illuminating the dark veins yet never taking away from his beauty. 

‘Does it feel any different now that you are a vampire?’ you ask, a certain skip on your step as you curiously look up at him ‘Of course I know your senses are far superior, but I’ve never asked exactly how far they can go or if anything feels different…’

With that, Demetri comes to a stop right in the middle of the bathed in sunlight hallway, for the first time since you know him taken aback from what you were asking him, looking at you with confused burgundy eyes that shone in the light like the deepest wine. His eyebrows furrowed above his eyes and he looked just as adorable as you felt self-conscious, absentmindedly playing with a stray lock of your (h/l) (h/c) hair.

‘I don’t really think this makes any sense…’ you admit.

Before you have the chance to react, his hands grab onto yours and with a sly smile, he brings them up to cover his eyes and you do not miss the way he inhales the scent of your skin deeply; his chilly palms never stray from holding onto yours and the smile never wavers and only sharpens when the breath you were taking in catches in your lungs and your heart accelerates, a sound that reverberates loudly in his ears. Skin smooth and cold under your fingertips, touch ever gentle as you are pressed against him, warmth from the sun and his dazzling, playful smile a mixture of teasing and utter love as he licks his lips carefully and allows you a flash of dangerous vampire teeth that would never -ever- hurt you in any way.

‘Ever curious human, yet you do not ask the correct questions often mio amore.’ He teases and his fingers caress your mortal skin.

‘I thought you were the clever one in this relationship.’ You respond, swallowing hard at the closeness.

‘I would really beg to differ.’

With that he seizes to speak and the silence descends onto the hallway like a warm sheet of the finest of silks and you cannot help but be painfully aware of the way your heart pounds in your ears and how your skin electrifies with every second it spends touching the blonde man, a statue of perfection that would make any painter or sculptor rejoice at the resurrection of a stunning Greek god. How have you ever been so lucky and so blind to begin with? You could no longer remember how it felt to hate him, be cautious and bitter around him, all distant memories that turn into haze within your mind with every touch he offers to your flushed and marred with scars skin. Something so perfect fell in love with someone so flawed… there were not enough words in any language to describe how you feel at this moment.

‘I feel…’ he whispers, voice husky yet mirthful ‘The sun like nothing but a perfectly warm sensation -not too cold or too hot-, always the perfect temperature without any fluctuation. The air is warm as it reaches the palace through the desert, but the shadows are enough to cool it and I can also feel the creases of the marble beneath our feet, not so smooth for a vampire as it is for a human.’ He gives your hands a small squeeze before planting a small kiss where your skin touched his ‘I can feel the softness and blooming warmth of your hands along with the small scars left behind by the wounds you have from so long ago; all the small, non-existent scars left behind by cuts as you played when you were a child, by the training we did, by the ones of my kind that managed to reach you faster than I did.’

By now you were not breathing at all; the world falls silent from around you as you focus solely on the man, thoughts going out like candles in the strong wind, leaving behind a certain buzzing numbness that silences everything but his smooth, silvery and smoky voice laced with deviousness.

‘I can hear the cars with the new arrivals coming from almost three kilometres away; one of the guests is demanding they change the radio channel.’ He laughs lowly ‘There are some servants cleaning the gardens, talking among themselves and there are a few getting close and personal in the basements. Cleopatra is walking up and down Mark Antony’s room muttering to herself while he goes about preparing everything for your arrival. I can hear the birds chirping and the water running all through the palace, as clear as I can hear each individual heartbeat and footstep. I can hear the way your lungs are inhaling and exhaling, how the oxygen moves through your mouth, how the blood flows to every single inch of your body. Alas, my favourite sound is that steady pounding your heart does especially when I kiss you or pull you close; how it misses one single beat only to resume again a moment later.’

He grins smugly like he knows you are staring and licks his lips slowly, doing a number on you.

‘You can listen to people that far away?’ you gawk in horror ‘This means yo-‘

‘Heard you curse me out under your breath more times than I can count?’ he laughs ‘Of course.’

Alright, now you are red as a tomato and regretting all life choices up until now; of course, he shouldn’t be eavesdropping at you, but you seriously doubted he really had any choice in the matter. Which also means, you’ll have to find a way to soundproof all the rooms you are living in from now onwards…

‘I smell the aroma of the sand, of the flowers and the water. Cleopatra planted new flowers and among them are a few of your favourite (f/f). I know there is lamb and a rich variety of cooked vegetables for lunch and dinner being prepared as we speak, the kitchen reeks with spices and the smell of food. I smell every single one vampire and human alike inside the palace, along with the smell of silk, stone, incense and the cleanliness of the breeze. A faint aroma of spilled blood still lingers in the small feeding rooms, all the human scents mixing with each other.’

He kisses the inside of your palms once again, careful not to disturb the cast on your left one, with lips soft against your heated skin ‘I can smell the way your perfume lingers on your skin and comes off you in waves, the shampoo on your hair and the soap used to wash your clothes. But by far I prefer the way your natural, full aroma of vanilla is something I cannot miss even from miles and miles away, radiating off from you like the first rays of sunlight after a night full of storm; your blood sings with every pump of your heart and the smell is something… exquisite. Combined with the smell of your arousal, it makes you… irresistible.’

As he pulls your hands off but doesn’t let go, he gets a full view of the bright crimson blooming over your cheeks and all the way to your shoulders, as your heart practically leaps from your chest. His face is filled with so much emotion, so much love, that your ears buzz and you instinctively lean towards him, like a moth to a flame, ready to burn within him but enjoy it nonetheless; he has you dancing in the palm of his hand and you find yourself wanting, no, craving for oh so much more. He takes full advantage of your stunned and flustered state to lean on your ear and whisper seductively, sending jolts of excitement straight to your core.

‘I am always able to see eight different colours in the light, count every speck of dust and every crease of thread on anyone’s clothes. I can see the way your (h/c) hair change colours in the light, how your perfect (s/c) skin is littered with marks -making it all too endearing. I especially like the colour of your (e/c) eyes as they fill with happiness and excitement, especially when I lean down to kiss your perfect lips and cup your body against mine. I see all of you and I am left in awe.’

Without a single moment of hesitation, he captures your lips with his own and everything simply seizes to matter at this moment. The only things that matter is the way his nimble hands wrap around your lower back and pull you into his tight and secure embrace, the same time that your good hand flies to tangle itself in his frosted blonde locks and your lips part, allowing him to deepen the kiss. Of course, he would never refuse indulging in you and his tongue slips into your mouth, chasing your own and stopping your heart completely. The coldness under your fingertips only electrifies you more and when you finally pull apart, you are breathless and very, very flustered.

‘We must not keep Cleopatra waiting longer.’ He muses teasingly as if reading your thoughts.

Coughing guiltily, you look away trying to collect your thoughts ‘We can always continue this conversation later; I’m still very…. curious.’

His dark chuckle has your knees bucking ‘Oh, I can _satisfy _that any time mio amore.’

When you finally reach Mark Antony’s quarters, Demetri excuses himself and kissing your forehead tenderly, allows you to pass into the cool interior. The room is relatively small in comparison with all the other rooms around the palace and the curtains are drawn, waving softly in the breeze; utterly bereft, save for a few pots of various plants on the corners and a statue of Hades in the far back, along with a couch and a table, where Cleopatra was sitting gracefully. Mark Antony was already waiting for you, having thrown a few fluffy pillows onto the floor beside the spot he was sitting on, a small incense burner on the side filling the air with a strange sweet aroma.

As you walk inside, his head perks up and his eyes crease in the corners as he beams at you ‘I am very pleased you could join us today _____. Please, have a seat.’ He gestures on the pillow right across from him and you plop down with as much grace as you could muster.

‘I hope you had a relaxing night _____. No disturbances?’ Cleopatra asks, red eyes filling with warmth as she regards you.

Nodding furiously, you can’t help but still feel a bit out of place around such important historical figures you’ve only read about in books ‘Everything’s perfect.’ You swallow hard ‘So, how is this going to work? Do I have to do something?’

Mark Antony holds his hands out with a small smirk, yet his eyes are careful and sad ‘My powers usually require of me to come in contact with my patient; the more of their flesh I touch, the easiest it is to heal them quicker.’

‘Ummmm’ you can’t help but turn into a tomato ‘So basically through the power of hugs?’

‘Among other things.’ He teases and you inwardly combust, making Cleopatra chuckle ‘But not to worry your little head; I wouldn’t really prefer to bring you into a difficult spot. We must cherish our Distorter and Demetri is a dear friend I would like to keep until the end of times.’ He muses simply ‘How about we start slow for today? I’m sure you would rather prefer to have your hand out of the cast?’ he says, taking your broken hand in his two own, ever-carefully studying the solid material of the cast by turning it carefully over and running his fingers over it as you hum in agreement.

‘It’d put Demetri more at ease honestly.’ You shrug ‘It’s not like I’m not used to it by now.’

Mark Antony nods solemnly ‘I can surely see that. Humans always surprise me with how fragile they are…’ he says more to himself than to you.

Eyes studying your hand before he brings his nails down to it, softly passing them from one side to the other; there is no pressure or pretty much any other feeling before the cast opens in half and he discards the pieces, revealing your badly bruised and broken hand underneath. As your eyes fall upon it, Embry surely did a number on the bone which is broken in two different spots and you mentally thank Carlisle for his skills in medicine; it feels numb on the cold air and throbs painfully as it’s not pressed down anymore but the coldness of Mark Antony’s fingers dulls the pain just a little bit. He flips your hand over to examine your wrist when he notices the protection mark on your hand and suddenly, he freezes.

‘How did you end up with this?’ he asks seriously, whole demeanour changing from relaxed to serious in a mere second.

Even if you wanted to withdraw your hand from his, his grip is suddenly unmoving like a statue ‘Umm it sort of appeared one day through a dream.’ You say and proceed to explain to him exactly what had happened before you got the symbol; he nods and thoughtfully throws a hand on his chin, thinking everything you tell him before looking at you with such deep seriousness that for a moment you truly see that senator who lead Rome into countless wars.

‘It is a protection symbol; that part is true, but do you not find it strange that you have been in such precarious positions and it has laid dormant?’

You tilt your head to the side ‘I… guess?’

‘Well, this symbol is a seal of protection; a mark for a blood-pact that cannot be broken, cheated or avoided. The fact it appeared through a dream is exceptionally worrying; it needs a very careful process and blood ritual in order to be able to summon such a seal and not everyone can do it. At least not anyone alive right this moment and not without a true massacre in the process.’ He says.

‘What?’

He nods, looking at you ‘You would have to kill a significant amount of people for this to appear; their blood would energize the seal and make it appear in a single person. Usually it triggers when someone is on the verge of death and I’m guessing you have been close but _not close enough.’ _He bites down on his lip ‘It works both as a curse and as a blessing for the carrier; it will protect you, but it will also stain you with the blood but since you are not aware how you got it, I’m guessing someone else did the ritual for you. Distorters were known for their elemental powers but special few water-type ones could go a bit… _beyond than that_.’

‘How’s it going to work? Like a shield or something?’ you demand, struggling to understand all the information at one as Mark Antony nods.

‘It summons something for protection.’

‘Well, thanks for the nightmare fuel mate, as if I didn’t have enough already!’

He traces the strange mark, ignoring your protests ‘Distorters were always powerful existences. It takes a lot to live along our kind without wiping yourself out in the process and the Distorter Clan -in all their mortality- managed to subdue even the strongest of our kind. They relied in numbers of course; it was far less dangerous for them and it did the trick.’

‘There was a certain beauty with how they carried themselves and their powers; completely in sync with nature around them and very nurturing souls, they looked after their own and their village. Very intelligent and more often than not helped with various issues the Romanians had, even if they didn’t condone us fully embracing our predatory nature. Of course, they punished and cleaned after many messes if they could not avoid them.’ Cleopatra adds, idly playing with a lock of her hair ‘They did everything; provided support and consult, aided the humans with their needs and even changed the elements to keep everyone safe. Of course, they did not condone Distorter and Vampire intimate relationships, much less Turning. Like yourself dear _____, they thought of it as unnatural. Such prideful people, such sadness to see them fall so horrifically.’

You swallow hard ‘Were you there? Both of you?’

Cleopatra nods, her smile sad and eyes avoiding your own, looking back into her memories only to flinch at what she found there ‘We did but by the time our help arrived it was too late; the Romanians had wiped the entire village in their madness to contain as much power as they had left. Mark Antony and I rescued a few deeply wounded Distorters and nursed them back to health, but it was already too late. The clan had fallen, and they were constantly running for their lives. No matter how well they hid, the curse would follow them even in the middle of nowhere.’ She turns to you ‘Yet for you to be here today my dear, it means they had just enough time to make sure their bloodline would continue; if anything, they survived long enough to birth successors.’

‘Like my mom.’ You say ‘My dad always said she died at birth and recently I found out that someone was chasing after her and she barely had time to have and hide me before dying.’ You swallow the lump on your throat back, wishing they didn’t notice the way your heartbeat quickened.

‘Had you had any thoughts of continuing the bloodline? It would be quite necessary since you are the last one.’ There is something else lingering in the insistence with which Cleopatra proposes that idea, but your head is too crammed with information to delve more into it.

Instead, Felix’s words from last night come to mind.

_Something living of yours…_

Maybe?

You nod vividly ‘I don’t know about that….’ You bite your lip ‘I don’t have enough time to either way.’

‘Certainly, that is something that can be arranged.’ Mark Antony smiles politely ‘If it is time you need, then time is what you will get lovely ______. Carlisle was kind enough to let us know about the whole extend of your illness, so we know you have a couple of months left.’

Straightening your back, you sigh ‘You can heal me, right?’

He nods ‘Of course I can. My powers specialize in healing any wound, bring people from the brink of death; it reverses time by healing the wounds and restoring the body in its previous condition. Alas, it is a long and painful procedure and it does not help when the soul’s essence is the one affected; I cannot restore the energy within you, but your mortal body only, enough to soothe the effects and buy you a certain amount of time.’

‘So, I’m still going to die in a few months…’

‘Yes, but a year is always preferable than two months or three.’ Cleopatra says, rising from her seat and coming to stand beside Mark Antony ‘Maybe it is wise to proceed. Demetri is pacing up and down non-stop.’ She chuckles.

‘Of course regina mea.’ Mark Antony nods and returning his burgundy eyes on you, he cups your broken hand in his two own ‘How good is your pain tolerance ______?’

Your eyebrows furrow in concern ‘Jane uses her powers on me from time to time, so relatively high?’

He chuckles ‘Then hang on tight and try not to fiddle around too much. This might hurt a bit.’

Gingerly, he places his palms on your bruised skin, closing his eyes and allowing his features to relax; sitting so close to him, you can see the beauty of a man who has lived more centuries than he can count, eternally frozen yet never escaping the creases of worry plaguing his skin. It was rather odd to see a vampire without a pristine face for the covers of model magazines, yet the whole aura Marc Antony had was a mixture of both the mesmerising beauty of vampires and the flawed aspects of mortal nature. He had an earthly beauty that was mesmerising, nonetheless. Suddenly, your thoughts come to a stop as a buzzing sensation emerges from your broken hand, only to see a faint golden light appear under Marc Antony’s palm.

Slowly, carefully, golden threads of pure light bloom on the surface of his skin, twisting and turning and tangling with one another creating intricate patterns that make your mind grow still in amazement. They dance for a mere second around him, before turning and gingerly touching the surface of your skin; upon impact, pain flashes raw through you and before you have the chance to control it, a surprised scream leaves your lips. Hand jerks in an instinctive attempt to place a safe distance between you and the source of your pain, but Mark Antony grabs your hand in a iron grasp, preventing you from doing so as more threads lace your skin and your eyes water from the pain.

‘Breathe ______, breathe.’

Comes Cleopatra’s voice, who is watching your face with keen interest and you bite down hard on your lips, drawing blood. If it affects the vampires, they surely do not show it and you clench your teeth together with everything you had in order to keep yourself from screaming your lungs out. It is as if your skin is enveloped in liquid fire, seething and blooming and burning everything in its path, a pain that is stark different from any pain Jane can induce. You watch in horror, rocking yourself back and forth as the threads glide over the bruised surface, forming patterns of flowers and animals and people dancing in the sound of some music you cannot hear; such beauty combined with so much pain it brings shivers down your spine and you avert your gaze away, throwing your good hand over your mouth and allowing your tears to fall.

Pressing your eyelids closed in a feeble attempt to dull everything away, you cannot help the wave of dizziness that overtakes you, and the room around you spins as your stomach turns. You don’t realise when you throw up, but suddenly there is a golden bowl in front of you and a cool towel touching your forehead as Cleopatra watches you with obvious worry and you numbly scold yourself for allowing the freaking Queen of Egypt to see you like that. Of course, that is before the room spins again and the world goes black, save for the pain and the buzzing of your body. Heart pounding, lungs struggling, nerves screaming and cold sweat bathing your from top to bottom, you lose all track of time yet you can remember vividly the sound your broken bone made as it slipped back together, mending itself perfectly as if it was never broken in the first place.

There is darkness again and when you come to, Demetri’s face is close to yours and you have thrown up in the bowl again. Cold hands wrap around your body and you are pressed against a sturdy chest as a lulling voice speaks above you, yet you are too tired to listen.

Instead, you allow your head to touch the relieving cold shoulder and your lungs to inhale the aroma of lilac, honey and rain.

All that as you are briskly pulled into unconsciousness, dreams plagued with villages in the middle of endless forests, little children playing and oh, so much screaming…so much fire…


	44. Chapter 40 Inferno

There was not a single moment when you could rest.

Slipping in and out of consciousness almost constantly, time had become a mixture of moments when it was light, when it was dark and when Demetri’s soft voice would lull you to sleep as he caressed your burning skin, singing to you lullabies in a language oddly comforting and melodious yet absolutely foreign, soothing the pain with his icy touch that rained on you like utter bliss. Either you were awake or not, it did not seem to help in the slightest, when the violent nightmares would plague your dreams, or the fever would consume your body.

Everything felt stifling; the linen sheets underneath you or among your fingertips, the clothes you wore or the hot air of the desert coming in through the window, your laboured breaths or the stinging of your eyes as they watered over and over again. It was hard to breathe; your lungs were desperately trying to pump oxygen into your ravaged body, but the heat would make it suffocating eating away at the sweet nectar of coolness. It was hard to speak; no strength was left inside of you after you would scream your lungs raw during Marc Antony’s therapy sessions. It was hard to eat; nothing would ever go down or stay long in your stomach to provide you with the necessary nutrients, which only resulted into your strength further abandoning you. It was also hard to move; Demetri had taken the role of completely caring for you, never leaving your side and tending to your every need without as much as a peep or anything but words of encouragement, how much he adored you, how proud he was of you, how much he wished for you to grow stronger with each passing second.

It had been a week that your sessions with Marc Antony begun and everything within you was falling apart.

A necessary path you had to walk upon if you wanted to get better, the empathetic vampire had warned you that the healing process would up its pain level the more severe your injuries were. If you thought you only had months to live, it sure explained the torturous pain the likes of which you had never experienced. Antony had to practically cling onto your unresponsive body to get as much skin-to-skin contact in order to heal you; all you could do is scream and even Cleopatra herself seized to be present in your sessions out of sheer pity for your pain. Nonetheless, she did make sure both you and Demetri were as comfortable as one could get, providing you with IVs and blood packs and even went as far as to contact the best human doctors she knew. Until they would arrive though, you would have to hang in there.

Of course, some days were better than others and, on those days, you would actually be able to wake up for longer than a few minutes. Demetri would try to feed you as much as he could and help you take a refreshing cold bath that would alleviate your fever, alas the nausea and frailty would do you no favours. You had already lost so much weight, becoming a shadow of yourself; at times when you could think, when a few scattered thoughts would flash over your aching brain, you didn’t know for yourself if you were getting better or dying faster. It sure seemed like it, like the world was ending and all that was left was the hotness in your veins and Demetri’s cold touch and soft voice. Solace amidst the nightmare you could no longer escape.

Maybe it was a fair punishment; you had broken so many hearts in your brief life, treated people badly and killed innocent souls without a single thought whatsoever so maybe…. Just maybe…. This was your punishment for it. To melt from the inside out, writhing against your sheets and screaming the pain. Slowly but steadily, your resolve to get through this was slipping. The way out was disappearing, only leaving dread and fire within you, like the fire that plagued your dreams and the haunting screams that raised into the night calling out for a saviour that was not going to come. Making you wander which is in fact crueller: to live a life of pain or to be released into the sweet coldness of death?

_Everything was burning._

_ It seemed as if the night had turned into day with how illuminated the darkness was by the enormous fire eating away at your small village, gnawing at the wooden houses with the wheat-covered tops, engulfing them so fast it made it seem like a dark fiery god was coming alive and laughing at the faces of the screaming crowd running towards every possible direction._

_ There was no time to extinguish the flames; there was no time to save the little belongings still scattered through the narrow streets of the village, nor help the ones trapped inside the burning buildings, clawing at the doors or jumping through the windows with the flames desperately clinging onto their bodies. Their voices would haunt your nightmares for years to come but at the time, at the sweet age of barely twelve years old there was absolutely nothing you could do but stare at the calamity descending upon all the things you ever knew and ever loved in your short life up until now._

_ The tables of the feast were turned upside down; food scattered forgotten across the ground along with the flower crowns all the girls in the village spent days to make. The smell of ash and rust filled the air as the ground flooded not with water but with something far more sinister as the Children of the Night descended upon your village from the mountains. Their hellish shadows with the burning rubies shone in stark contrast with the flames and the fire, plunging their silhouettes in darkness but making their eyes shine as they marched through, leaving nothing standing but the ancient silver pomegranate tree adorning the square of the village, it’s branches stretching high towards the skies as the Children chanted the name of their dark god._

_ Dad was gone; mom was still fighting along with a few more villagers and your little body was frozen in place no matter how much your mom screamed at you to run and get away; she looked so beautiful with her sky-coloured eyes and her blonde hair, so beautiful even with all the blood cascading her face as it contorted by the screams for you to get away._

_ Someone grabs your hand; it startles you awake from your stupor but instead of the dreaded coldness, the hand is warm. Your sister. Barely three years older than you. She grabs your hand and practically pulls you behind her as you run to a narrow alleyway while all around you people die and monsters growl. Yet your sister is there, screaming at you to hurry up and not look behind you, not even when your mother’s scream reverberates like lightning through the night and you want to close your eyes and wake up._

_ Alas, there is no waking up from the nightmare._

_ Sister uses her earth powers to conceal your presences as you run out of the village and onto the vast fields of the mountains. The clean air grips your smoke-filled lungs and elicits wild coughing fits as your feet pound onto the soil and the wheat still growing as if nothing is happening; the hellish sounds still accompany you and you see more villagers running for safety among the trees, only to be chased down by snarling shadows. You are scared, oh so scared, you want this to be over._

_ ‘Cassiopeia we must hurry.’ Your sister pulls your attention as you finally reach the forest, merging with the shadows as the monsters pursue you ‘We must survive. There must **always** be a Distorter alive.’_

‘_____ wake up. Wake up, you are having a nightmare.’

Demetri’s hands took a gentle hold of the girl’s shoulders, shaking her ever-so-carefully out of her torturous dreams the moment he noticed her twisting and thrusting a bit more than usual onto the luxurious bed. It was not the first time and it certainly would not be the last -she had been plagued of nightmares and high fever for a bit now- and Demetri could feel a wave of relief wash over him as her beautiful (e/c) orbs opened and she looked up at him curiously, whites turned red and face flushed from the fever. Her heart beat irregularly within her chest and her scent was a bit dampened than normal, blurred by illness he could smell off of her as well. Hair tangled and clinging to her temples, shirt messy as she laid there, surrounded by tons of medicine she had to take to endure it all.

Successfully masking his worry with an even expression and a small smile that would put the human’s mind at ease, knowing full well that she was in no state to know the difference -like she always seemed to know-, he sighed in relief when he felt her scorching hand wrap around his and bringing it to her cheek, she nuzzled it happily, taking in the coldness and the affection like a drug. Who would have thought the cold touches he could offer her would come in handy in times like these…? Like they did in the past…

Not that it had no reaction from Demetri’s part as well; the vampire tracker experiencing a warmth in his chest that could very well make his long-stopped heart beat again as he regarded his mate happily lean onto him, not a worry in her mind as she entrusted him with her heart and all her being. Only she had such power over him, wrapping him around her little finger and he would not have it otherwise.

‘I’m feeling a bit better…’ she mumbles, voice strained and dry and the vampire rushed to bring a cup of water on her lips, helping her drink before she made herself comfortable back on the pillows with a contented sound, crossing her hands over her stomach and closing her eyes once again.

She was not looking any better; her heart was practically overdriving itself ‘Do you think you could eat perhaps?’ he offered, but it was not really a request from his part. The soup lay forgotten on the nightstand, waiting for her appetite to come back.

_____ nods weakly and pops her eyes open again ‘W-what happened?’ she asks and tries to sit up on the pillows, but Demetri’s nimble hands are already on her in a blink of an eye, pulling her further up by the armpits, like she weighted nothing before making sure she was properly covered and taking the spot next to her on the bed.

It is hard to see her like that, ravaged by her own body; it reminded him of when she was tortured by Caius for trying to escape, though now, Demetri does not really have someone to blame for her condition. ‘Another nightmare I am afraid mio amore.’

In response, she sighs heavily, missing the way his façade slips for a single second and worry blooms over his face ‘Of course.’

‘The fever has dropped a bit. I will take you to the springs underneath the palace after you eat; the water has healing properties since ancient times.’

Or so the human servants said to him as they brought in the soup, he had requested for her, fuzzing over her condition straight out unable to keep their voices from rising and almost dropping the soup. Missing the way Demetri glared at them in annoyance. Could they just shut it? She’ll wake up.

Alas, _if anything could help her, he was more than willing to try_, he thinks, bringing his fingers to brush a few stray strands of (h/c) hair off her face. Trying to be oh so careful, knowing full well he could crush her with a mere tender stroke; he always knew that, when he kissed her, when he had her underneath him, when he fed off of her, yet now it was all too real.

She was so fragile now, more than ever before; even the vanilla scent of her blood was thinner than usual.

Alas, if push came to shove, he was prepared to step in and give her the only treatment that would guarantee she stayed alive and well despite her outright objections; he much rather have her hate him for all the centuries to come than have her rotting on the ground. He was selfish he knew; but she knew that as well when she fell in love with him.

‘Sounds alright.’ _____ nods with a smile ‘I’ll get better in no time, you’ll see.’

_You better do just that little human._

_ **His human.**_

When he first presented her with the soup, she had scrunched up her nose in disgust. Of course, everyone had the same reaction when presented with trahana soup if Demetri remembered correctly from his human days. It was a cure-all in Greece when he was alive and not too hard to cook if they added some chicken broth. Yet now she seemed to like it, eagerly devouring it without a single obnoxious comment that would have his eyes rolling to the back of his head. Not so surprisingly, it was the only thing she could keep down as he spoon-fed her, shooting down all of her disagreements about the matter; it was no trouble for him to care for his sick human mate and if anyone disagreed….well…they would not pollute the air for long.

‘Felix called to see how you are; he is really worried. Both him and Alec. They warned me not to let you die.’ Demetri gives her an amused smirk and a raised eyebrow, keeping the last part were his friend added the ‘_skinning process he would put him through’_ out.

As ______ smiles this time, a bit of colour returns to her stunning face ‘I’m making all of you worry hm? It’s only temporary, I’ll get better quick.’

‘If anything, your sheer stubbornness is enough to keep you alive. You run purely on your sheer sass and denial of whoever gets on your nerves.’ Demetri comments teasingly and rests the plate on the side, pulling you gently into a sitting position, producing two bathing robes he had left on the chair.

All it takes is a second of him using his true speed to change into his robe before turning his attention to her and ______’s body sways back and forth as he helps her out of the little clothes she wore, touch feather-light and careful, never failing to notice the discolouration over the skin of her chest and stomach with his immortal eyes. Her eyes grow watery once again, shining like two moons, alerting him that the fever was getting worse as he pulls her into her feet. She stumbles, but in a mere millisecond his hands wrap around her waist, pulling her flush against him. Slipping the robe around her mesmerising body, he fastens it quickly before he leans in to gently rest his lips on her forehead, exhaling softly when he picks up the change in temperature. Never fails to notice the way her hands come up to cling onto him as she licks her lips and hums contently to herself.

‘You are burning up again…’

‘Only for you, twenty-four seven, Demetri.’ She offers a tempting smile, which would have done numbers to him if she could actually stand on her own two feet.

Instead, he cannot keep the chastising tone from his voice ‘This is not the time for flirting _____.’ _Oh, how the tables have turned, he thinks to himself. The irony..._

‘Says the Casanova.’ she giggles ‘Y’ know; you can definitely help with the burning up.’ she says suggestively, but her flirty words don’t match the way her head falls limply back as her muscles are unable to support it.

Demetri is not amused in the slightest ‘You are delirious again. How about we walk? Do you think you are strong enough to?’

She just about had enough power within her to walk.

Of course, he interlaces his hand around her waist to support her as they both make their way out of their quarters and onto the lively palace, which had grown a lot noisier in the past week. Now more and more guests were arriving -two of the African Tribe leaders were already here- along with their inner circles, so the place was absolutely buzzing with life; people and vampires going up and down to make the necessary preparations for the Council and the festivities ahead of them.

Demetri spared no other thought to it than the fact ______ would really like it when she finally got better and it was a chance to meet with more humans like her who were more tolerant with vampire and human relationships than the werewolves and more thoughtful than the Cullens.

As he gazes down to her, he catches himself adoring his precious human for all her strength; she had come so far since the first time he saw her in the Clock Tower, quick-witted and fierce with a wild fire dancing in her eyes. Now she was just as fierce as before, but her smiles were more at ease and her emotions were displayed in all their glory, allowing him out of all creatures to worship her like the true goddess she was.

After one thousand years he could hardly believe how lucky he was, and there was not a single chance he would let her slip through his fingers; he waited centuries for her and she was more magnificent than Demetri could ever imagine.

The whole world could be set ablaze and he would not care as long as she was with him.

‘Demetri, can I ask something?’ she suddenly pulls him out of his thoughts, paying no attention to the people walking up and down the hallways as they made their way through the palace, one of them almost knocking onto them and apologizing profusely before hastily making his way again.

‘Amore mio, either answer of mine will make no difference, so go ahead.’

‘Do you ever wonder what it’d be like if we were human?’ she stumbles on her step, but his grip is steady on her hot skin, so she doesn’t notice too much.

_Not really no, though the thought has occurred once in passing._

‘I cannot say I have. The years dividing us are, in the very least, numerous. I could not imagine a plane of reality where I would not meet you.’ He shrugs ‘Who would torment you if I wasn’t here? You would be bored.’

It is his honest opinion; surely there are _some _vampires who hate their nature but not everyone self-loathes through the centuries just because they can.

She tuts and offers a bright smile despite the redness of her cheeks ‘True, but imagine what it’d be like if we were together and human. Like, we lived right here and now and we’re human.’

Now his curiosity is peaked ‘Probably you would have already killed and shoved me in an old freezer or something; I will not say that I would not have it coming.’

She groans but there is no anger behind her voice as she barely supresses a chuckle and Demetri beams ‘Like, I’d probably be working as a ______; I wanted to do that since I was little. You’d be the handsome policeman or, wait!, a detective or a bounty hunter! We’d meet in a café in Seattle and hit it off instantly; it’d take you a good four years until you proposed to me.’ she laughs but her voice is still faint from tiredness.

Yet it is still music to his ears.

‘Really? Is it because you are completely oblivious to my attempts to be romantic and shrug them off with a laugh? I might or might not take it personally and write your name in the building opposite. Or maybe a hot-air balloon like in the movies?’ he teases.

She nods and her eyes blink abnormally slowly ‘Yeah, it’d take me a while and you’d be like _‘thanks been trying for the past four years an’ shit, you do you boo’_…. We’d be living in those fancy two-floor apartments downtown, with a fluffy cat I’d have since college and have like two kids; two girls or a boy and a girl.’

Demetri laughs ‘Like for lunch?’

‘Holy shit that’s dark but gold.’ She laughs openly, her small frame rocking and tears of happiness blooming in her eyes ‘God, I’d wish them to have your looks, especially your hair…. what colour were your eyes when you were human?’

‘Blue. Alas, I would prefer your own (e/c) ones.’

‘Hmmm, better than mine.’ She wobbles a bit and Demetri ignores the stares it elicits from a few servants, since she is the only one that matters ‘They’d look so pretty. I’d really want some kids; I know vampire and humans don’t mix, but oh boi if they were anything like you….’

For the first time, Demetri does not know how to respond to that… there is a strange feeling arising within him, but he is too preoccupied to identify it. Instead, he pulls his human close, nuzzling into her hair and taking in her mouth-watering scent.

‘I did not take you for the greedy type ______. Maybe I will steal you one. What colour do you want it to be?’ He teases and kisses her head, missing not the way her heart jumps in her chest or the hitching of her breath that had nothing to do with her health.

What a lovely, addicting sound…

Instead, she shrugs with a dreamy smile ‘Purple for sure. But don’t go complaining now Volturdoggie, you were the one to promise me the world back in Thessaloni-‘

Her voice trails off and her limbs grow slack; it only takes a single fraction of time for Demetri to realize _____ passed out cold and his body reacts all out of instinct.

Her name falls from his lips like rain as his hands tighten around her fragile body and ignoring the gasps of surprise all around, he lies her down on the ground just as the seizure starts to rake her body. Now there are screams and Demetri hasn’t been this angry in a while, wanting to just make them all shut the hell up as the only thing he can do is let the seizure pass through his human’s body naturally and **not **touch her. From the sound of her heart and the heat emanating off her in steady waves, the fever must have gone up tremendously; why hadn’t he noticed?! He is helpless; there is no way to help her. All he can do is watch and there is no other time he felt such wild surge of emotions like now that he sees his mate’s body almost tear in half.

‘Get out of the way!’ a female voice comes from up close and a hand comes to rest on _____’s forehead, the motion stilling the human instantly upon contact. There are suddenly two human hearts beating and Demetri comes face to face with another girl.

She is very, very young, probably around 24 years of age. Straight short hair dyed amethyst purple complimenting her kind jade-coloured eyes and porcelain skin, she is dressed in loose chic bohemian style that compliments her curves to perfection. The moment she kneels beside ______, her eyes close in concentration and a strange redness blooms over her cheeks, starting to emit waves of heat along with her scent, a pleasing mixture of black tea, strawberries and lotus flowers. Under her touch ______’s seizure stops and her body relaxes against the cold marble.

‘Who are you human?’ Demetri’s voice is sterner than he wanted and the low growl brewing in his chest can be heard, but there is no room for sentiments where _____’s life is in danger. There is red painting the edges of his vision and his teeth feel sharper than normal.

‘She’s just trying to help old friend.’ A familiar [male ](https://images.esc-plus.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Mahmood2019090.png)voice says, and Demetri’s gaze falls on the form of an old friend smiling down at him ‘Not to worry, she’s just taking the fever away.’ He smiles.

True to his word, the girl sighs deeply and removes her hand at the same time ______ opens her orbs and curiously looks around, redness subsiding rather quickly and eyebrows shooting up as she looks at the girl and her lips open in awe. In response, the purple haired girl smiles kindly at her, her heartbeat falling back into a normal rhythm and the heat of her body dying down; bizarre as it was Demetri could easily realize that she had tactile healing powers. An asset to have around, especially when _____ needed it the most; Aro would be thrilled to meet such human.

_____ blinks up at the girl ‘Good god you are a pretty one. Love the purple hair! Could you do mine?’

It doesn’t take a genius to notice the other girl squirm at the praise, eyes filling with uncomfortable notes ‘I-um….thanks? How are you feeling?’ she deflects.

‘Like a million bucks if they were ill to death for a couple of weeks.’

‘She is fine; thank you for your help. Your gift is more than simply astounding.’ Demetri rolls his eyes at his girl and helps ______ back at her feet with a fluid motion as the other man comes close as well and extends a hand, wrapping the other one around the purple haired girl’s waist.

As always, every time Demetri’s path crossed with Zareb, it was peculiarly on remarkably _interesting _moments. The two vampires knew each other for centuries now, so Demetri shakes his hand while both of them grin widely to one another; Zareb was just as tall as Felix, although more lean than muscular and with rich auburn skin with a tint of deathly chalkiness in it, product of his vampirism. His droopy golden eyes shine with his grin and it is as if they had met yesterday and not fifty years ago.

‘Always surrounded by pretty ladies Demetri.’ He winks conspiratorially at his friend and Demetri flashes him a pleased smirk, acutely aware of the murderous glare _____’s giving him.

‘Those days are long past me, my friend. This is my mate _______.’ He turns to you nodding courtly ‘_____ allow me to introduce you to an old friend of mine; this is Zareb, member of Cleopatra’s clan. Zareb and I go a long way back.’ He smirks.

Zareb flashes a small, careful smile at _____ and takes her hand in a handshake ‘That is true, although most of the stories would surely put us both in trouble. Your reputation precedes you ______; when I first heard of my friend finding a mate, I thought it was a joke.’ He muses.

______ is not amused in the least and so is the purple-haired girl, who folds her hands over her chest with a scowl.

‘What can I say, he just wouldn’t leave me alone.’ ______ throws ‘I was just as surprised.’ She glares at Demetri who smiles to tease her even more, enjoying the pout making permanent appearance over her face.

‘And spare us the horror stories, one of you is a handful enough.’ The girl huffs slowly before turning to the other human ‘I’m Ari, nice to meet you!’ she offers a genuine little smile that reaches all the way to warm her jade-coloured eyes.

‘She is my own mate.’ Zareb says, pulling her close to his side and evaporating her annoyance with a tender kiss on the top of her head; the trick works, and she wraps her hands around his torso with a cute smile.

‘Are you here for the Festivities? It’s been long since you actively searched for Cleopatra’s company.’ Demetri notices airily ‘As well as a human with so active healing abilities.’

_____ perks up at the mention ‘Thank you for healing me back there. I hope I didn’t cause any trouble Ari.’

Ari nods ‘Not at all, I love to help out and you were seizuring, couldn’t just stand there and do nothing.’

‘Still, it mustn’t be easy. How about I treat you to some coffee and sweets when I’m feeling better?’ ____ grins and Ari nods happily.

‘Oh, the stories I can tell you over coffee girl; you’re like the only other human I know who dates a vampire.’ Ari comments.

______ chuckles and raises an eyebrow ‘The growling, edginess or the gloom-and-doom?’

‘All of them.’

‘We can still hear you loud and clear girls.’ Demetri says.

‘We don’t really care.’ _____ dismisses him and if they were alone, that would have gotten her in trouble. Instead, Demetri keeps his composure, deciding to punish her accordingly later. At least her spirits seemed to be better as she beams at Ari and nods at the matching robes they are also wearing.

‘You’re going to the springs, right? How about you join us, we’re just on our way there!’ she says, ‘I’d really like to get to know you Ari and spill the tea over those blood-suckers.’

Ari laughs at the puzzled expressions on both Demetri and Zareb.

‘Oh, the tea I have to spill.’ She chuckles and high-fives _____, much to the vampires’ further confusion over their cryptical words; maybe Demetri had to dust his word etymology because he was absolutely puzzled here.

Still, none of the girls offer any explanations and instead they all make their way to the springs, the girls walking side to side conversing happily, sharing information to one another as the two vampires discuss under their breaths, low enough for the humans to be unaware. Demetri keeps a sharp eye on ____, but for now she seems to be better, walking and conversing without as much as a struggle, despite the soft redness still lingering on her skin.

Apparently Zareb had wandered around a bit since the last time they had met in Toronto; he had briefly moved to a monastery in the Himalayan mountains were a few vampire monks resided before making his way to Tokyo and actively getting involved into the animation and game industry, subtly of course and mainly being a source of income for humans who would otherwise not be recognized. Of course, wherever Demetri and Zareb were, wild lifestyle was surely a way to describe what they did while they stayed there so after a good thirty years over there, he travelled back to Italy. Demetri knew he was there but was unable to meet with him since the Volturi were a bit more active in the last years. There was a bit of uneasiness settling over the vampire community and they needed to keep everything in check.

Of course, Zareb was ever understanding, having served under the Volturi briefly, a good five centuries ago.

‘What made you come back Zareb?’ Demetri questions ‘You were always the one to travel, never staying in one place for long.’

He raises an eyebrow ‘It would keep Amun guessing; since I didn’t really like Aro’s authority, it was the only way to keep Amun away.’

There is a low growl rumbling inside Demetri’s stomach at the mention of his maker, but his poised nature and absolute control over his emotions never lets it surface other than a brief flash of his red eyes ‘He will be coming here.’

‘And naturally you are worried-‘ he raises a hand at the blond man as he tries to debunk it ‘Do not even try to hide it. I worry too for our all-too-human mates. Still, he will not dare make a move against Cleopatra; she instils as much fear as Aro does. In a non-murderous way of course.’ He hums.

Demetri nods trying to return to the first question ‘It seems like you are avoiding my first question old friend. Although, I can guess rather easily.’ He says and points at the purple haired girl conversing lively with _____.

Zareb gives a small, fond smile ‘I met her at a drawing studio; we’ve been together for three years now and even if I regret messing her life, I could not live without her. All those centuries and now the hunger is finally gone.’

Demetri hums in agreement, unable to take his eyes off the other dazzling female belonging only to him ‘Now there is only peace.’

As they finally make their way inside the vast [hammam](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/61/67/be/6167be73999111c22ff826e1036f1021.jpg), surrounded by ancient marble columns and Egyptian patterns adorning the floor, they find the place empty.

Rich, lightly scented steam rises from the warm water and the low light is enough to create an ambient atmosphere that is relaxing and reassuring in a strange way; at least here they would have their own peace of mind.

Demetri helps _____ slip into the warm water, her fragile body shivering wildly as it comes in contact with it and her robe floating around her like a petal before sinking down and the girl allows him to pull her further in, water all the way to her chin. He doesn’t miss the way she clings to his arms desperately and uncharacteristically fearfully -no way to know when her next seizure would rock her body so better keep him close- as she allows her limbs to relax and a sleepy, contented expression settles over her beautiful face; she looks like a nymph inside the water and her (e/c) orbs shine as she smiles and Demetri forgets all the world around him.

Floating towards him, she chuckles and makes herself comfortable inside his embrace, leaning into his chest and lazily blinking her eyes; heartbeat slowing down, she finally looks at peace.

‘I could get used to this.’ She hums contently as Demetri passes his hand through her hair, dampening them with the warm water.

‘You say that as if I do not embrace you enough, insatiable little human.’ He teases her lowly enough for their conversation to be kept private, before planting a small kiss on her head.

‘If it were up to me, you’d not move from the bed.’

He chuckles ‘Well, that can definitely be arranged.’

Pulling both of them near the shallower parts of the pool to have a seat at the marble steps, Demetri allows her to cling to his side as Zareb and Ari make themselves comfortable across from them, with Ari looking at _____ curiously.

‘You can always ask away Ari, I don’t mind.’ She reassures the other human.

Ari seems a bit hesitant, but her curiosity gets the better of her ‘How is it to live with the Volturi? From the little I know, they’re not really receptive of humans knowing about them.’

‘That is why’ Demetri interrupts seriously ‘Zareb will have to one day turn you.’

‘The Volturi do not allow anyone straying from the rules. But in the end of the day, can you possibly imagine how life would be without them? Vampires free to feast themselves over the humans.’ ____ shrugs and her words make pride swell inside Demetri’s chest; it felt nice not to be seen as villains from her point anymore ‘Other than that, life’s pretty much…. Hmmm, imagine living with completely civilised, responsible, serious and mature people.’

Ari nods ‘Okay.’

‘Now throw that idea out the window.’ ____ says and the couple is unable to contain their rich laughter echoing inside the room as Demetri huffs and rolls his eyes turning towards her with an amused smile.

‘Well, to be fair, you are also a pain in the ass 99% of your time there.’ He muses and _____ grins.

‘Had to pass the time somehow. They don’t even have a TV! Neanderthals.’ She winks at Ari, who laughs even harder ‘How about you Ari? How did you meet with Zareb?’

‘Oh, this is my favourite story.’ Zareb perks up and nods towards Ari ‘She couldn’t get her eyes off me the first time; absolutely smitten.’

Ari groans and shoves him a bit, which was not all that effective ‘Hell to the no! What on earth are you on about?!’ she chastises him before answering the girl’s question ‘I studied art conservation at the university of Florence, where among other things, we had to paint by ourselves in order to further our art. He was the model there one da-‘

‘Nude model.’ Zareb chuckles and winks merrily ‘Her jaw dropped.’

‘No, it did not!’ Ari blushes heavily folding her hands over her chest petulantly ‘It was not pretty, I was sweaty, starving, sleepy, hadn’t left my painting in three hours and one step away from a full-blown mental breakdown because I just couldn’t get his fucking hands right!’

‘Nobody can easily get the hands right.’ _____ chuckles and Ari nods.

‘I know right? And now three years after, we’re still together. Moved here in Alexandria and try to make a living. Which is easier than expected when you are with a vampire that is thousands of years old and own pretty much half the world.’

‘How old are you Zareb?’ ____ asks sleepily, pushing herself more inside Demetri’s embrace and blinks slowly, ignoring the low chuckle Demetri lets out. If she was stunned to learn his age, she’ll most definitely flip when she finds out just how old Zareb is and by the smug look on Zareb’s face, it’s probably not the first time he is going to experience that.

‘Let’s just say’ he looks at Demetri with a knowing look ‘I was there when Pharaoh Tutankhamun was sealed inside his grave.’

‘Probably a bit younger than Aro and Marcus _______.’

‘Yo what the fuck. What.the.fuck?...’ ______ says.

‘Yeap.’ Ari looks down at her hands, an incredulous expression over her face ‘Had pretty much the same reaction…’

‘Called me a mummy.’

‘Well you deserved it! You’re like 3000 plus years old. I’m only 24, the difference is massive!’

‘I can’t help it.’ He muses ‘Although it does make a killer intro at parties.’

‘What the f-‘

‘I am deeply sorry to interrupt, Zareb and Ari, but I think it’s time for me and _____ to retire.’ Demetri interrupts the old-married-couple bickering and points down at you, sleeping peacefully for once after so many days.

Heartbeat relaxing and breath getting even, the combination of the water and your exhaustion was enough to lull you to sleep inside Demetri’s embrace and the vampire could not help but make sure you’d have those few moments of peace before the fever or nightmares came back. Your face relaxed completly and the fever was cast away for now, allowing a healthy tone to come back to your skin. Pulling you in his arms, he excuses himself from his much understanding friends and picks you out of the water with a fluid motion, yet before he leaves with you, he turns back to the other couple and smiles politely at Ari.

‘Ari, please excuse my forwardness, but I can safely say that you and _____ have a lot in common. She could use a human friend considering you both share a few same experiences.’ He courtly nods to the girl before turning on his heel and making his way out of the hammam springs, carrying you protectively in his arms.

Demetri knew all too well how much it pained you to lose some grip on normality now that you were betrayed by your loved ones and cast into a world that was not quite yet your own; he could see it in the faint sadness of your (e/c) eyes and the way you had secluded yourself, especially now that you were burning from the inside out. So, if he could ease the strain on you just a bit, he was willing to give a push to the right direction and Ari seemed like a nice place to start, especially since Zareb was a man Demetri trusted with his life, old comrade and friend. Ari must be just as reliable and kind for you to consider her a friend and forget all about those petulant mutts and traitorous, egotistical Cullens. He would make sure of it.

After all, your happiness mattered more than the whole wide world, vampiric or not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Despite the gloominess and tough spot Reader-chan is in, I really had fun with this chapter tbh ^^; slowly some things I planned for a long time are starting to appear and I cannot be happier, as well as new faces of friends and foes are finally coming all together! The following chapters are going to be a lot more fun and exciting so please keep a heads up loves! Also, has everyone seen the new Twilight book finally coming out? Boi it's going to be an interesting read X3 Please make sure to leave a comment with your thoughts, they really help me become better!
> 
> I hope everyone is safe and sound in these trying times darlings, remember to practise social distancing and wash yo hands! Love ya all <3


	45. Commissions are OPEN

Hey everyone! Apparently, things with Covid19 are getting tougher here in England and we are about to go into another lockdown this Thursday. Unfortunately, this has affected my ability to work and I’m now unemployed for more than three months. **For this, I am opening commissions for the first time.**

As you know, my name is Vivian R. Vergiou (pen name), 26 years of age, graduate from the University of Crete with a degree in Philology (Ancient Greek/Latin/Byzantine/Greek Literature) and now a student for Masters in Creative Writing. I’ve been writing professionally for a little more than 7 years (Quotev/Wattpad) and plan to make this my official career in the future ^^

To get a commission, you will have to message me privately, where we will discuss what you want from the story, outline, characters, what you want to happen and any other relatable information. Payments will happen via PayPal since it’s a secure webpage for transactions, both for you and for me.

**I also keep the right to refuse any commission that makes me uncomfortable/violates the rules stated below.**

** Commissions are as follows:**  
  
-> 5 pages = 20 £  
  
-> 10 pages = 45 £

**Payable half upon setting the commission and the other half upon delivery of the final product**.

**Things I will write about:**  
  
Harry Potter Creepypasta Twilight Mystic Messenger Ikemen Vampire Ikemen Sengoku

Obey me! Shall We Date The Arcana Online Game Teen Wolf 

Boku No Hero Academia (My hero Academia) Soul Eater The Mortal Instruments/ Shadowhunters

Supernatural Marvel Cinematic Universe DC Cinematic Universe The Umbrella Academy 

NSFW Vampires Werewolves Aliens Mermaids/Merfolk Faes Witches Demon Slayer

Among Us Demons Angels 

**Things I will not write about:**  
  
Rape (although dub-con is dependable on the content)

Incest

Underage

I am also planning on moving to Patreon in the near future. For this, I will set up a poll with possible monthly subscription prices that you feel comfortable with; I understand that not everyone is financially secure or able to provide, so the prices will be low I can assure you. You can find the link here: [Patreon Poll](https://www.quotev.com/quiz/13210454/Patreon-Poll)

Thank you so much for all the support and love you guys! <3


	46. Chapter 41 Council

Air filtered pure and comforting among your fingers.

Watching calmly as your hand rose towards the pure azure skies, sunlight lacing among them as you try to grip at the sun himself, you relish at the feeling of the dry desert and the greenery growing inside the vast gardens of the ancient palace passing through the canyons of your fingers. Allowing your (e/c) orbs to close gingerly and your (h/c) (h/l) locks to float behind you, the sun kisses your skin ever so gingerly, like the caress of your soulmate among linen sheets drenched with love.

Basking at the pleasure a small, seemingly insignificant, yet so soul-gripping moment can give.

Somewhere in the back, a door opens and closes and feet echo against the marble floors, bringing you out of your reverie and the world falls back into place as you stare off beyond the gardens and towards the dessert.

‘Do you honestly believe you can handle the meeting today?’ a girly, serious voice breaks the silence, heavy accent painting the words, making them sound more… melodic ‘There are still some persistent symptoms I’d like to address.’

Sighing to yourself, you look up from your spot on the lounger chair, only to be greeted by a familiar black-haired woman sporting a worried expression.

‘Don’t you worry too much Eva; I think I rested my butt long enough.’ You joke, nodding at her to sit on the unoccupied one beside you.

With a roll of her eyes, she plops down holding her notes, coffee brown eyes scanning what was most likely your medical results and eyebrows furrowing over her cat-shaped eyes. Long, black hair tightly pulled in a ponytail, adorned with a few stray white hairs here and there despite her 25 years of age; she was rather petite and lithe, an inch or so shorter than you. Yet she was one of the best doctors in human society at the moment, her and her boyfriend Isandro being close friends with Cleopatra herself. Of course, Eva was human while Isandro was a vampire, but as you burnt with fever and was almost to the brink of death, they were summoned from Thessaloniki asap to tend to you alongside Mark Antony without so much as a question.

Eva was a calm, clever, steadfast individual and the only one to actually bring you back from death, managing in the span of a sole week to lower your fever, alleviate the rest of your symptoms, and actually have you roaming about once again. Demetri was relieved and surprisingly she played along with your morbid humor, even adding her own, making her all the more endearing to you.

‘Your vitals appear to increase: the lungs are doing a lot better, while your kidneys have stabilized. There is still some light fever persisting, but it will subside after a few days of proper nutrition.’ She looks up to you, raising a questioning eyebrow ‘I’m still waiting on your MRI though…While you are better, do you think you can take on the responsibility of the Council?’

Shrugging your shoulders, you return your gaze back to the sea of sand ‘Well, I survived Caius with no help from anyone. Demetri and Cleopatra are going to be there so I don’t think it’s going to be a problem. My hands have been itching to slap some sense to some bitches, but I do hope they behave themselves.’

Eva seems amused ‘The life of the Guard doesn’t leave you as much as you’d like?’

Solemnly, you nod, offering her a tired smile ‘That and the fact I love the drugs you shoot me up with.’ Her face drops and you raise your hands in surrender ‘Kidding. It’s just that I can’t really have all the African Clans waiting for me forever; and I much prefer it when they are scared of me rather than pity me.’

‘Fear gets things done.’

‘It most certainly does. Plus, Aro won’t be happy if we take too long. Lots of things to do back in Volterra and I miss my home.’ You admit to her, before grabbing the intricate glass lying before you on the table, popping the straw in your mouth and downing the refreshing juice as Eva seems to withdraw inside her own thoughts.

‘I haven’t heard good things about some of them. Like keeping humans around as pets?’ she says appalled.

‘I don’t know how Aro puts up with this as well, given they are a liability, but I guess catering to them won’t bring problems.’

She raises an eyebrow ‘And you? What are you going to do about it?’

Smiling brilliantly to yourself, you give her a conspiratorial wink ‘Aro gave me the alright to go, so I’m going to own those fuckers as much as I can. Problems be damned or not.’

Eva openly laughs ‘Not scared?’

‘Not anymore.’

As you finish your sentence, the doors to your room open and in strides Cleopatra herself, followed closely by a few servants who carry in their hands all sorts of boxes. Filing inside the room hastily, they set them down and begin preparing, while the majestic woman casually walks up to the two of you, smiling a brilliant, warm smile.

‘So happy to see you back on your feet dear _____.’ She says ‘I do believe the sun proves beneficial for you.’

Nodding, you offer her a polite smile back ‘That and Eva’s care have made wonders. Do you know when Demetri will be coming back from the hunt with Zareb?’

‘Just before the Council starts. As you can see, I brought you all the help you might need to prepare; Aro sends you a dress he wishes you wear today.’

‘Then if you’ll excuse me.’ Eva stands up and respectfully bows to the Queen ‘I believe I left Isandro alone for far too long.’

Cleopatra and you are left alone in the spacious balcony, save for the few servants going about your room and you raise a questioning eyebrow to the Queen who makes herself comfortable on the spot Eva left unoccupied. All the time you have spent with the Volturi has taught you that when vampires linger around for far longer than usual -and Cleopatra had been discreet and respectful of you and Demetri’s personal space- they usually needed something; truthfully, you can see it in the way the wine red swirls in her eyes and her smile remains pristine and perfect -or rather a little too perfect.

‘I really want to thank you for everything you’ve done for us Cleopatra; if it weren’t for you and Marc Antony, things would have been a lot different for me and Demetri.’ You admit, sipping a bit more from your juice and watching her ever keenly, as she straightens a non-existent crease in her sky-blue dress, her eyes wandering upon the far horizon; dark veins of rot and disease mar her once pristine skin as the sun kisses it gently and you are reminded of the eons she has lived through.

All of them for that matter.

‘Dying on your vampire lover would not have been easy, I can assure you; so, in a way, I did it for him as well little ______. Yet, it is not often my kind finds a human among their Three Kings.’ She admits ‘The Volturi never break their rules and as unpleasant as that might sound, you must know you are running on borrowed time in more ways than one; I am surprised they kept you human for this long.’

Tightening your grip around your glass, you shift uncomfortably in your seat ‘I’ve been quite adamant and opposed to that scenario. Although, that was back when I thought I had a family to come back to and wasn’t given a few fucking months to live.’ You say and catch yourself as you find her chuckling ‘Please excuse my language.’

‘There is nothing to be afraid when around me little ______. I always cherished and will continue to cherish human life; you and I are equals in every possible sense and that will not change.’ She reassures you steadily.

Now it is your time to chuckle ‘You can kill me in a split second.’

‘So can humans with a single nuclear missile.’

Shrugging, you lean back in your chair ‘I guess you are right. But I must admit, for a vampire, this is quite a strange opinion to have.’

Cleopatra looks at you seriously, her full lips pressing in thought and her posture turning as unmoving as a statue; there is a seriousness and resolution in her like she has been asked this question a million times in the past. Weaving her fingers together, she blinks slowly, her eyes holding your gaze steadily but without any hint of danger.

‘From the beginning of Time itself, humans, vampires, and distorters walked together down the paths of time. Whoever believes himself superior is a fool; immortal empires rose and fell just as hard.’ She admits ‘I am just as old as Aro and Marcus, if not older. I have been called by many names: Isis, Hatshepsut, Cleopatra and allow me to assure you, whoever did not embrace change fell into obscurity and calamity fast and hard.’

Seriously, you nod ‘Yet you don’t look that old. Immortality aside, there is no powdery skin or milky-ness in your eyes.’

‘It is because I keep myself active. As you humans say, exercise is the best remedy.’ She winks.

‘Yet I still avoid it like the plague.’ You admit with a chuckle ‘It must be strange to live so far from civilization after so many centuries of pure adoration, right?’

Nodding, she cannot contain a small smile that paints her blood-red eyes with sadness ‘Due to my ability, I get overwhelmed rather easily so I tend to revel in solitude and only but a few to keep me company.’

This piques your interest ‘Ability?’

She doesn’t hesitate for a moment ‘Auditory memory envision. When someone says something containing memories to me, I get visions of them and everything they include, a little bit like a movie if I had to compare.’

How… interesting and invading all at the same time.

‘There is a limitation to it though; I cannot see something you do not choose to share. I can only see a certain memory as it unfolds in your mind as you speak, not all of them and if the speaker chooses not to share one, I do not see it. With a bit of deduction though I can most certainly guess the rest.’

‘So, I have to be careful with what I say around you huh?’ you say, half-joking, half-serious.

Cleopatra seems endlessly amused by your question though. Leaning towards you, she gingerly reaches out and takes your hands into her cold, soft own, cupping them among her own tenderly and carefully as she smiles a smile that could put the sun to shame. Air picks up around you, warm and playful -a stark contrast with the comforting coldness of her hands-, and you are sure she can hear the rapid beating of your heart against your chest.

The redness of her eyes floods with fondness and for a moment you forget how to breathe; she was easily the most beautiful vampire you had ever seen -more beautiful than Rose herself- and her kindness could easily rival Carlisle’s.

‘I want a friend like you beside me _______, above all else; your fire is very strong and pleasant.’ squeezing your hands a bit tighter, not painfully but reassuringly, she releases them ‘Now come, we shall get you ready or the Leaders will definitely nag to you more than they will already.’

Her words surely left no space for disagreements. Rushing inside the room, Cleopatra hands you over to the servants’ hands before leaving, telling you she had to also get ready but really enjoyed your company. The moment the doors close behind her, the servants grab your hands and lead you to the vast bathroom of your quarters, getting down to give you a complete make-over. It takes a while, but the moment they are done and you look in the mirror, you cannot believe the image you are seeing is yourself; gone are the dark circles under your eyes or the sickness from your skin. You look radiant and healthy as if nothing ever happened.

Before you have the chance to gawk any further, one of them brings before you the box with the dress Aro sent from Volterra. Making quick work of the ribbons, you pull it open, only to come face to face with an abyssal black dress.

To say that the deep color had taken you by surprise would be the understatement of the year. Gingerly, as if the cloth was about to come to life and attack you, you pass your hand over the expensive velvet and the gold of the embroidery shimmering in the faintest of lights, completely lost in thought; once you would have found the offer insulting. You would have tossed and torn it apart like that small voice in the back of your head wanted even now; alas, that voice was already growing smaller and smaller, remnants of a past you almost had no contact with anymore.

So you gaze down at the beautiful [dress](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/44/a1/79/44a179e07f24ae47599cc1baf9a38f89.jpg) and sigh, realizing exactly how far you’ve come as a person and as a force of power yourself; you had earned this color with blood, tears and the staining of your soul. Would the cost be worth it in the end?

Would it stop being alien, so unwelcome, in contrast with your white dresses?

Did you even care at this point?

‘Is it not to your liking mio amore?’ comes a familiar voice, breaking through the numbness and you are vaguely aware of the servants bowing and excusing themselves, leaving you alone with the love of your life.

Licking your dry lips, you try your best to keep your voice steady but never turn to look at the breath-taking man ‘It’s the wrong color.’

He hums and you know he moves closer by the way the air shifts within the room.

‘Black is traditionally the color of the Head of the Volturi Guard.’

Cold hands that are oh, so welcoming, rest upon your shoulders and you allow him to gingerly turn you towards him, closing your (e/c) orbs and burying your face into his chest; welcoming the relieving feeling of his embrace and the grounding aroma of his body. If you missed anything while you were going back and forth through hell, that was his cold touch or the velvet feeling of his skin against your own. His embrace, the sound of his laughter. Everything. More than anything in the world.

Sighing contently, you hum as he kisses the top of your head.

‘I liked my white ones better.’ You admit petulantly, shrugging your shoulders.

‘White does suit you, alas, I am afraid the Clans will respond better to you dressed in black.’ He murmurs softly and swallowing hard, you raise your head to meet with his heavenly characteristics.

Demetri looks absolutely mesmerizing; the dark circles were gone and his complexion had turned less ashy, complimenting the way his sand brown hair was perfectly tousled by all the running. The vampire leans against your touch happily as you pass your hands through his hair to place them back to his usual style. After so much time, it didn’t bother you knowing that he had freshly fed; on the contrary, you had grown completely used to it. Funny, what we are willing to accept when it comes to our loved ones.

‘Will we have some time on our own after the meeting Casanova? We’ve got to take advantage of me rising from the dead.’ You suggestively wink at him and you are delighted to see the liquid rubies of his eyes fill with mirth as he chuckles loudly.

‘I am afraid there are other plans; it is customary to have a party after the first day of negotiations.’ He smiles and plants a small kiss on your lips, ignoring the way you moan in frustration.

‘Can’t keep those old geezers waiting?’

‘I’m afraid not.’

‘Not even a bit?’

‘No.’

‘You’re no fun Volturdoggie.’

‘I shall add this to the agenda of ridiculous things I have heard this century.’ He laughs.

‘And I shall inform the News that _**you**_, Demetri Volturi, renown Casanova all through the centuries, gave me blue-balls.’ You roll your eyes exasperatedly and withdraw yourself from his embrace, opting to start getting dressed.

Demetri scoffs lowly to himself and folding his hands over his sturdy chest, he proudly throws his head back and squares his shoulders ‘Are you going to ridicule me so?’

There is tease in his voice and mischief swirling in his eyes. It makes you wanna push his buttons more until he cracks and has his way with you.

‘It’s too late to run now. You’re stuck with me for the rest of time.’ you wink over your shoulder, pulling the dress straps securely in place.

Demetri’s posture never changes, but there is mirth in the ‘tsk’ he lets out.

‘I always love a challenge.’ He says ‘But of course, you know that. I will wait for what punishments you have in store, but for now, my αξιολάτρευτη (_Greek: adorable_) human, we have business to attend to.’

A few moments later, you find yourself walking down the labyrinthine corridors of the palace with Demetri by your side, holding your hand securely in his cold own as he leads you to the conference room where the meeting will be held. Keeping your head high, you are secretly thankful for the handful of painkillers you took before leaving since you could sense both the tell-tale signs of fever and anxiety ease within you, making your heartbeat even out and Demetri’s hand to stop squeezing yours; of course, his face betrayed nothing of his thoughts, the man falling back into the beauty and awe Neoclassical statues held: unmoving yet oh so lively in their moves. Like a God walking among men, sparing smiles that warmed the soul solely for your (e/c) eyes only.

Your dress swirls to your every move, floating charmingly around your feet; it matched perfectly with the silver pendant of the Volturi [crest](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/34/9a/05/349a057da83b7b27dcd6d7eeeef39e07.jpg) resting against your chest. As soon as Demetri had pulled it out of his pocket and placed it with exceeding care around your delicate neck, it had reminded you of the dreaded ruby choker that had signified your subjugation to the Volturi; alas, as the symbols of the hawk and the pomegranate tree came to view, adorned with charming pink diamonds -courtesy of Aro since the usual rubies would dampen your powers- it feels more like an acknowledgment of allegiance rather than slavery. It felt strange -just like the dress did- but at the same time well earned.

When you finally come before a set of heavy marble doors guarded by two heavy-armed vampire guards, Demetri pulls at your hand bringing you to a stop.

His regular mask of calm indifference and pride has slipped upon his face and as he talks, he brings your hand to cup among his own.

‘Whatever happens in there, I want you to know I will keep you safe.’ He murmurs lowly enough so only you can hear, reassuring voice coming in stark contrast with the seriousness of his face ‘Be warned, they will try to rile you up. Do not allow them to get under your skin; they will be ruthless.’

Raising your eyebrows, you nod ‘So can we. I’m not scared Demetri; I’m with you.’

For a moment, there is a flash of tenderness and a love-sick smile spreading over his face, before the collected man drowns them just a second after he leans in and plants a lingering kiss on your lips, tasting of honey, lilac, and rain. Straightening his back proudly, he once again turns rigid and you watch trying to keep your heartbeat in check as the guards move and the doors open widely before the two of you.

‘Head of the Volturi Guard ______ ______ and Volturi Guard Demetri Volturi.’

As the room reveals itself, six pairs of burgundy colored eyes turn to nail themselves on the both of you; it feels like the room drops five degrees immediately and a wide kaleidoscope of reactions fills the air, from amusement to downright resentment, at the same time that all conversations die down.

Beautiful peach coloured sunlight enters through the translucent curtains that are drawn and wave in the warm breeze, blocking the sunlight enough as to not displease any of the vampires sitting around the enormous, smooth onyx table that is placed in the middle of the room that is otherwise bereft of anything else. Six golden goblets adorned with precious stones are in front of each chair upon the table and other than the one that must be for you, you are sure the rest do not sport red wine.

Demetri escorts you proudly and surely towards your seat with ease -surprisingly at the head of the table- and you are acutely aware of the low murmurs and growls marring the air; your heartbeat picks up and you know they can hear it by the low, mocking chuckle someone lets out, but you bite down on your tongue and square your shoulders proudly. It is not until Demetri pulls the chair and you sit, with him staying proudly by your side, that you turn your attention to the vampires inside the room.

Cleopatra is sitting right across from you, golden cup at her lips as she smiles and winks at you, dressed in a breath taking golden gown; Marc Antony is standing by her side, his face serious with none of his usual aura of calmness. Around them, the four men are dressed in bright coloured traditional African attires, olive skins with a touch of chalkiness and trademark red eyes the only things betraying their vampirism; two of them look upon you with sympathy and curiosity, while the rest as if you were a steak dangling right before them as they starved. Or like something that smelt awful was permanently stuck under their stuck-up noses.

One single chair though, remained oddly empty.

Before you have the chance to say anything, Cleopatra clicks her cup to gain everybody’s attention before looking at the faces of each and every one of you with a welcoming but formal smile. Right at that moment, you are reminded rather clearly of the fact an ancient queen is standing right before you all, carrying the aura of nobility and gracefulness that accompanies such a creature. 

‘Thank you so much for honoring us with your presence dear friends; it is a pleasure to have you all in my humble home.’ She addresses the African Leaders around her before she turns to you ‘______, Demetri, we hope and wish for nothing but wellness and abundance for the Volturi. Please make sure to give Aro and Marcus our wishes.’

You offer a small smile, bringing your hands to rest on the armrest beside you, crossing one leg above the other ‘We most certainly will Cleopatra. Thank you.’

‘Does Aro think of us fools?!’ a low, throaty voice spits, and the man sitting right next to Cleopatra turns to you, face a slipping mask of anger ‘How DARE a human come to our Table? Food has no place around but on a table.’

Anger bubbles inside your chest, slow and poisonous, forcing you to keep your breath steady and not let it show over your face. A witty retort hangs from your lips but Demetri beats you to it.

‘While we admit _____ is a mortal, rest assured [Eniola](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f2/Richard_Brooks.jpg), she is no human.’ His tone is formal and elegant as it was fitting for a Volturi Guard addressing someone superior, but Demetri’s voice is dripping with iciness and challenge as he eyes the older man like he is mere vermin under his boot ‘______ is the last remaining descendant of the Distorter Clan, the White Reaper of the Volturi. Aro chose her himself; although I shall make sure to inform him of your objections.’

There is a threat underlined in Demetri’s words and if Eniola could change colors, he would most certainly have done by now. Instead, there is a low growl coming from the depths of his chest like an earthquake, but as soon as he leans forward on the table threateningly, the man standing beside him rests his hand on his shoulder, and in a flash, he is pushed back.

‘Please excuse my father; what he meant to say was that it is a pleasure to have you here Distorter _____.’ The much younger man -probably around his early thirties- says and respectfully gives you a curt nod; he seemed to eye his father out of the corner of his eye just in case, but his tone is polite ‘My name is [Nassor](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/b0/8c/28/b08c28d5514ca3b37c5503248f74ddd9.jpg) and me and my father are from the Congo Clan.’

As he finishes his sentence, another man in his 60ies sitting right beside you sighs, giving him a sad but knowing look before turning his attention to you ‘It’s an honor to meet a Distorter; it has been far too long since you coexisted among us and let me say, what a lovely, clean scent you have. Truly refreshing and that comes from a man that met quite the interesting people in his time.’ He chuckles to himself and a joke only he really understands, voice surprisingly light and airy despite his years ‘I’m [Lanre](https://netstorage-briefly.akamaized.net/images/a1d8d7944e641c76.jpg) from the Ethiopian Clan.’

‘Word was out that you were ill, Distorter.’ The younger man on your left interrupts Lanre, never opening his eyes to look at any of you as he has folded his hands over his chest ‘It postponed our meeting more than it should. Unnecessarily so if I might add.’

You offer a polite albeit dry smile ‘I’m well now that is all that matters.’

He gives you a dry look ‘I heard you almost died-’

‘You heard wrong.’ Demetri interrupts him evenly, resting a protective hand on your shoulder and you can feel a small growl making it buzz ‘I would advise watchfulness in your sources, in order to avoid any _misconceptions_, [Unathi](https://answersafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Edi-Gathegi-1280x720.jpg). One can never be too careful, as Aro has taught us all.’

Unathi shrugs indifferently ‘Humans are such fragile little things. How do we know she’s in any position to make any choices for us?’

‘Because I helped her out, Unathi.’ Marc Antony speaks up, lips falling into a frown ‘You must know by now how my powers work; you had me attend to you quite a few times.’

That was enough for Unathi to shut his mouth and shrink back into his chair like someone had just bitchslapped him into tomorrow.

Humming to yourself, you can’t help but notice the similarities and differences the vampire Leaders had with the Volturi.

There was a certain aura of oldness and souls that had seen all too much of this world to be excited and careless anymore; you could see it in the way their bodies were unbending and pristine like statues come to life right before your very eyes. Carrying along all those eons of life gave them a special, almost perfected way of speaking like they were gods among men and they were all too aware of it. Just like the Volturi. Movements deliberate and precise, red eyes deep as the blood they so frequently feasted upon. Yet all so different from the Royals back in Volterra. More lively when they finally moved, more active, there was a passionate tone in their voices as they spoke, nothing of the monotony Aro or Marcus carried, nor the milkiness in the eyes; they were souls that refused to stop moving, to stop hunting, to stop pursuing more; with the same kind of greed the Masters had, they went hunting instead of waiting for it to be delivered to them in golden platters.

Still, they were just as much in need to be put in their place and be reminded of who is boss around here.

Crossing your hands before you, you offer them a toothy grin filled with irony ‘Unfortunately gentlemen, you are stuck with the mortal Distorter for now. Aro’s not here and has sent me in his stead, so imagine what will happen if I tell him you're uncooperative.’ You can practically _feel_ Demetri’s amusement emit from him like waves ‘So if you want to solve your issues quickly and effectively, I highly suggest you start behaving or wait for the next century. In the meantime, no appeals to Aro will be made.’

‘Are you threatening us girl?’ Eniola snarls and you nod.

‘No, I’m stating the elephant in the room since no one else can see it. My word is as good as Aro’s for him to entrust me with your care.’ You lean back in your chair and grab your cup, you try to contain the face of disappointment you were about to make as you realize it’s freshly-made juice -this is getting ridiculous, who do you have to screw for some alcohol in here- but quickly push it aside ‘Now, who’s going to go first before I present you with the Volturi demands? I was kinda waiting for our last meeting, but since you lot are all occupied with gossip, this will be quick.’

There is shifting, low growls, and a small chuckle from Marc Antony, but that seemed to be enough to stop their protests immediately. Of course, Demetri’s gaze is almost melting away the side of your head, but this was no time to solve any questions your mate has. Especially not when Marc Antony produces a large envelope and rests it upon the table in front of Cleopatra.

‘Since it is customary, allow me to begin first.’ She says seriously ‘______, usually, in these meetings, I do not have too many requests; this time, unfortunately, with the way things are going in my beloved country I have a few more requests to add to the list.’

‘Shouldn’t we wait for Amun to come as well?’ Lanre questions the queen but she just waves her hand dismissively.

‘I have notified him already. It is his choice to be late.’

‘I will go after Cleopatra and none of you have a say at this.’ Eniola states, without giving a single damn for the others’ objections. Above him, his son rolls his eyes exasperatedly; his patience seemed to run low just as much as yours did.

With that last warning, the first vampire meeting officially begun.

Cleopatra, as she said from the beginning, didn’t have too many requests for the Volturi but most of them would take time and consideration for you and Demetri to actually see if they were to be granted or not.

Some were easy and manageable of course, like creating a safe passage for vampires to the Middle East since some nomads had taken power into their own hands and proceeded with looting or even killing their own kind upon various occasions. Demetri told her that the Volturi were actually just informed about that and reassured her that action was about to be taken so that peace would be restored in the land. She also wanted to use the local prisons as feeding grounds for the vampires under her rule so that they wouldn’t feed on unsuspecting innocent people and you granted her that opportunity immediately, as long as none of the prisoners saw something that would endanger vampires being exposed or turned up dead in their own cells with no apparent reason whatsoever.

Unfortunately for Cleopatra though, her last two requests were something that you would have to think about very closely or even consult with Aro himself; she wanted to seize the governmental power -working from the shadows, of course, nothing too obvious- so she could help the countries under her authority to advance into a new era of progress. Just like the Volturi had done for most European countries, which wasn’t really so outlandish generally judging by the state many countries were in, yet nothing would have ever prepared you for her last request.

‘I would like to point out that my clan has been gravely affected by the rogue vampires in the Middle East. Good friends were lost in the attacks and our numbers have dwindled considerably.’ Cleopatra says gravely, sighing to herself and Marc Antony looks upon her with sadness; you bet it was not easy to lose friends that were with you for eons and eons ‘For that reason, I would like to add new members -with the Volturi’s blessing of course- so we can keep our numbers stable.’

Demetri inclines his head towards the queen politely ‘Aro is aware of the loss. We can assure you it is a matter that can be placed under consideration, although a very detailed list must be shared with the Volturi.’

‘Of course.’ Marc Antony is the one to speak now, the grey-haired man resting his hand on his mate’s shoulder, with Cleopatra raising her own to cup it; a small gesture of affection they allowed themselves in between company yet it made you want to look away as if you were intruding at something rather personal ‘The list is particularly interesting this time around and we are aware of the limited possibilities; though I’ve wished for something like that never comes to pass, here we are.’ He nods sadly.

‘I can’t really see Aro denying you. Which are the candidates?’ you ask and the woman offers a paper towards you, which Demetri takes in his hands, studying it.

‘A few humans that have found residence in my court: five in total. Among them lie two with rather interesting powers.’ Cleopatra says ‘One is Ari; as I hear you experienced yourself _____, her powers are akin to what Marc Antony does. Though not exactly the same: she can transfer the illness or wound to her own body and then heal herself; it is a very rare type of Wound Transferal I believe will be invaluable once turned.’

Clenching your jaw in dismay, you cannot say you like what you are hearing and annoyance is starting to seep into your skin, electrifying your nerves and making your hair stand up as a shiver travels down your spine ‘Did you ask Ari about this? Or you went ahead and brought it to us?’

Maybe your voice came out a little bit harsher than you intended it to; Cleopatra averts her ruby gaze to her papers while Antony looks at you, his face an indecipherable mask you can make nothing off of it. Demetri remains eerily silent beside you, picking up at the way your heartbeat changes, and silence falls like a thick veil above the table, as the rest of the leaders hold their breaths.

‘Of course, I asked her; she appeared to be very thoughtful about the matter, but understands she rather turn than be separated from Zareb.’

‘And the other human?’ you demand.

‘It is your doctor, Eva. Her mate Isandro Tomey and she decided it is time for her to join the immortals since she is at the prime of her years; she possesses the power of Astral Projection. She can access her power solely when she is sleeping and only to see people she has come in contact with but I do believe immortality will grant her more freedom to explore her abilities.’ Cleopatra concludes and looks at you with calmness, a total contrast with your raging internal storm ‘They asked me to do it and in turn, I ask the Volturi to grand me permission to-‘

‘We shall see about that.’ you interrupt her coldly, swallowing hard and squaring your shoulders ‘Aro needs to be informed of course and the powers will truly be invaluable assets but I cannot grant you the green light before I have all the information in my hands.’

‘Information?’ she questions raising an eyebrow over her burgundy eyes but you shake your hand dismissively.

Offering a smile that never reaches your (e/c) orbs, you don’t fail to catch the surprise flashing over her face for the first time since you came in here; Cleopatra played her cards very meticulously but you had lived with the Volturi long enough to know what game she was playing. If this was what you suspected, the conversation you had before in your room falls into a whole different light which you didn’t like at all. Alas, before making any assumptions, you’d have to investigate the matter yourself.

‘Nothing to worry your head over my Queen.’ You reassure her ‘Now if you don’t have any other requests, I believe it is Eniola’s turn.’

Something undecipherable passes over Cleopatra’s face, but as you turn your attention solely to the Congo Clan leader, you choose to ignore the incredulous glances the rest of the share with one another -even Unathi raised an eyebrow but chose not to comment.

Contrary to Cleopatra’s rather doable requests, Eniola’s were much more absurd, violent, and hard to please, although they were rather few and correlated with one another.

In his situation, there were multiple rebellions erupting all at once in Congo, Cameroon, and Central Africa. Some vampires under his rule had prompted them, joining forces with the rogue vampires hiding inside the impenetrable shadows of the rainforests and waged war against him, so savage, that he was losing vampires in large quantities every single day. To make matters worse, some humans had also been added to the Resistance, as he called it, and he wanted the Volturi to give him the green light to wipe them all off the face of the earth and drown the rebellions in blood. He did suspect that some vampires in his own court were the instigators, but he could not prove it. For good measure though, he wanted to kill them all and start anew.

‘In the past, we have granted your various requests to purge your own court, Eniola, and it always appears to come back to the same situation.’ Demetri throws at the older man venomously, his voice ice cold and mocking ‘The Masters strongly believe that your rule is the problem, not your court.’

Eniola’s eyes almost bulge out of his eye sockets and his fist drops upon the table so hard, that the cups rattle and the stone groans. You grab your cup just in time for it not to be tipped, the same time that Eniola jumps on his feet and points an accusatory finger at Demetri, which you do not appreciate at all.

‘Are YOU threatening me?!’ he roars and there is a sharp pain in your ears, making you fight the urge to wince ‘Would they prefer it if I LET THEM ROAM FREE AROUND AFRICA?!’

‘Maybe the Volturi interference would be much more effective if you did.’ Demetri challenges and Eniola opens his mouth to respond, but Nassor is quicker.

‘Please Demetri, there will be no need for such excessive measures. Father and I can deal with the situation-‘

‘Obviously, you cannot though.’ You speak up, commanding attention as you nonchalantly brush your hand over Demetri’s own; a small gesture to relax the now tense man ‘Needless bloodshed is all I can see. Maybe we’d hear what the Rebellion has to bring to the table since we’re hearing only your side of the story.’

Eniola spits on the table and you can hear the low, warning growl dawning from within Demetri’s chest but Nassor pushes his father back in his seat but that doesn’t stop the man from cursing loudly and spitting out his next words like he was tasting something vile.

‘A vampire whore was discovered raped and killed.’ He says impassively ‘They blame it on me and turned against me almost storming my palace. Those traitorous bastards only wanted an excuse to come after me, but THAT IS WHAT I GET for not killing them in the first place.’

‘Who was this unfortunate girl?’ Demetri asks and Nassor seems suddenly crestfallen, eyes closing as he takes in a deep breath to try to contain his emotions before clarifying to you both.

‘She was the sister of one of our Guards. Nobody knows what happened to her, but the Guard insisted that the last time he saw her, father over here was leading her to his rooms. She was discovered a few days later in the deepest part of the Forest torn in half; the Guard abandoned the Court and formed the Resistance calling for a change in Leadership.’ He nods solemnly ‘He wants father _replaced_.’

‘Killed is what you mean boy!’ Eniola roars ‘The audacity these useless mutts have!’

‘Were you able to lead them true, these issues would not have arisen. But you revel in the bloodshed and war the rogue vampires provide.’ Demetri says icily ‘Instead of providing for them as the Volturi do on numerous occasions, you let them do as they please and kill them when they bore you. It is understandable for them to turn on you at some point; war can only satisfy a being for so long. Even Caius understood that.’

Demetri’s words are true and no matter the look of disgust Eniola has over his face, his lips remain unmoving no matter the storm going on inside his red orbs. Although you have experienced Caius’s sadism first-hand and know how much he is eager to douse the battlefields with blood and dead bodies, he does nothing when Aro calls for peace; he embraces it immediately. Only when provoked he strikes mercilessly. And that is a lesson Eniola needs to learn as well.

Looking at father and son, you ponder over what would be the best possible outcome for their situation, and also take into consideration that Aro wants Eniola off the table; this could very well be the perfect opportunity to do so. Nassor seems more… conversable and empathetic, in total contrast with Eniola’s unyielding and savage nature. Eventually, you sigh.

‘The killing of the vampire needs to be investigated.’ You say ‘Vampire population is already low as it is and the Volturi are in no need for a vampire murderer being on the loose; I’ll speak with Aro and a team of the Volturi Guard will investigate the matter.’

Eniola was less than happy or excited about your decision, but like the big boy he obviously was not, he had to deal with it alone; it was not going to change no matter what. Thankfully for you, your fragile health, and even more unstable nerves, the meeting finally came to a not-so-pleasant end when the sun had already started to get lost behind the huge sand-mountains in the distance. Your head is pounding with an unrelentless headache and you could use something nice to eat a couple of hours ago, so when Demetri escorts you out of the Council room, you lace your hands together and hum in satisfaction as you navigate towards the luxurious gardens where the promised feast was waiting for you.

‘Aro will be rather happy to hear that everything went well.’ Demetri nods thoughtfully, tilting his head to the side and raising a questioning eyebrow ‘Although I do not remember the Volturi having any particular requests from the Leaders.’

Shrugging innocently, you squeeze his hand reassuringly, not that the stone-cold man would be able to tell the difference ‘Of course they don’t. I do.’

‘Really?’ he sounds intrigued and there is a sly smile playing at the edges of his perfect lips ‘And what might that be?’

‘Since we’re here, might as well make sure to stick up for the little ones don’t you think?’ you say at your mate ‘All the territorial stuff and the wars are nice and dandy, but what about the human suffering? So, if they want me to do anything about their cases, they’ll have to do something for me as well. I don’t think Aro will have a problem with more clean water or hospitals named after him right?’

Demetri sighs ‘I suppose not.’

There is something hanging in the air between the two of you; Demetri’s stone face remains pristine and perfect, betraying nothing of his thoughts but you know him well enough to know he’s thinking of something under the disguise of perfection he so painstakingly wears every day.

‘You don’t agree with that my love?’ you offer calmly, a voice suddenly coming out vulnerable and unsure; his opinion carried tremendous importance for you since he was the only one to keep you alive. He was important; his opinion mattered above all else… with the only exception being your impending death.

Turning to look at you, his red eyes seem to search yours for answers to questions you didn’t know about. When he finally speaks, his voice is low enough for only you to hear and even, effectively masquerading his true emotions.

‘Why did you question Cleopatra’s intentions so much?’ he asks cautiously ‘You sounded very suspicious of her. Is something the matter mio amore?’

Slowly, both of you come to a stop right in the middle of the deserted hallway; there is a gentle warm breeze coming in through the windows, carrying along the rich aromas of spices, freshly made food, and the faraway notes of jovial songs and people laughing. Though, as you stare at Demetri’s stormy eyes, feeling yourself swallow hard before clenching your jaw, struggling to find the correct words to answer him. He waits; never pushes you for answers although his aura of seriousness alerts you that he will not drop this subject without a satisfactory response.

Weighing your words carefully, you answer him ‘Demetri, you know as well as I do that no human can remain that knows about the existence of vampires; they either have to die or be changed themselves.’

Demetri inclines his head thoughtfully ‘That is the Law.’

‘Exactly. So, bringing particular humans to Aro, Caius, and Marcus’s attention, is never good. Especially when they possess such valuable powers.’ You try to reason with him, only for Demetri to frown lightly at your words as realization dawns upon him.

‘You are worried about Eva and Ari turning into vampires?’ he asks cautiously.

You shake your head ‘I want them to be given a choice whether they want to or not Demetri! With powers like that, Aro’ll want them added to the Guard. I want them to have a choice and I want their choice to be respected; just like I want my choices to be respected in the future!’

Demetri’s eyebrows furrow in confusion ‘You already chose ______; I understand the circumstances were less than ideal mio amore, but you are right here in the Volturi Guard with me. Soon, you shall join the undead as well.’

There is conviction in his voice; necessity; urgency; bewilderment. Realization dawns upon you that Demetri genuinely believes that there is no other choice for you than to be by his side and join the Undead as his rightful mate, living together with him for the rest of eternity. No other option is available and no matter how much you want to curse and fight him that your life is still your own to do with it what you please, the weight of your choice to die falls upon your shoulders like a threatening, sharp pendulum. It is only a matter of time; your time with him is limited and when that single thought dawns upon your mind at that moment, staring deeply into his eyes and completely enamored by his divine scent and presence, sadness bursts through your heart, tearing it in pieces and leaving it hanging as you bleed.

Offering a reassuring smile, resting your hand upon Demetri’s cheek tenderly, you swallow the lump in your throat as you tiptoe up and place a tender kiss upon his lips.

Bittersweet and tragic. The kiss of impending betrayal; you only hope you’re making the right choice.

‘I’m sorry.’ You mutter and you know not for what you are apologizing precisely ‘I’ll talk with the girls and if they want that as well, I’ll apologize to Cleopatra.’

Demetri threads his soft hand through your (h/c) locks, reveling as you lean into his touch and places another chaste kiss on your lips ‘Treading carefully is not your forte mio amore; although justice is never complacent.’

Gently, you allow him to lead you towards the gardens, reveling at the reassurance his soft touch provides and swallowing down the bitterness of sorrow blooming through your heart; stealing glimpses out of the corner of your eye towards his perfect visage, it amazes you even after so long how attractive and fascinating the vampire man is. Along with the fact that he is now all yours.

Once outside, you cannot even count the number of times you have been assaulted by the sheer beauty and extravagance Cleopatra’s palace has to offer. The lavish [gardens](https://i.quotev.com/xjcy3ob3ebgq.jpg) extended well until the eye could see, divided in two by a deep pool that doubled as a fountain as well; palm trees hang above the well-trimmed grass and the flowerbeds, offering shade during the day and deep shadows over the night, while every single flower you could possibly imagine grew around you. Scattered around were dozens of statues of various Greek and Egyptian goddesses, while you could swear you spotted a sphinx or two.

If the garden of Eden actually existed, it would look like Cleopatra’s backyard, smelling of lilac, jasmine, and the burnt warmth of the desert; the setting sun offered a golden glow over the deep emeralds and whites, while humans and vampires mingled with one another. Raising an eyebrow, you are actually fascinated by the sheer amount of humans surrounding you, rich laughter and beating hearts painting the air with joviality; most lazed around the grass in small groups, laughing and gossiping with one another, while the majority of vampires had withdrawn to the shade of the porch, holding golden cups of blood and liaising languidly with one another; a stark contrast to the livelihood of the humans.

‘______, I believe I see a nice-‘

‘Demetri!’ an excited voice interrupts the vampire ‘C’mon over here you viejo pedo _(span: old fart)_!’

Isandro, Eva’s mate is waving at Demetri from the plush couch on the other side of the balcony, and you have no idea what he said, but Demetri closes his eyes to inhale deeply through his nose; trying desperately to keep his cool apparently, if you were to judge by the low buzz of annoyance in his chest.

‘Vivo per il giorno in cui ti decapiterò, Isandro.’ (_ital: I live for the day I will behead you, Isandro.)_ He says exasperatedly, and you might not know too much Italian, but the decapitation seems to be the same in almost every language.

Isandro laughs loudly and tilting his head to the side, blows a kiss your way ‘Looking lovely as always _____. Ditch this gilipollas, he ain’t fun at all!’_ (span: asshole)_

In Isandro’s vividness, Demetri rolls his eyes but even he can’t keep the amused smirk creeping into his lips.

‘Σκάσε ηλίθιε, που είναι οι τρόποι σου?’ _(Greek: Shut up idiot, where are your manners?)_

Isandro grins ‘Πισω στο 1478, την ξεχασα μαζι με την ζωντανια μου.’ _(Gr: Back in 1478; I forgot it along with my aliveness)_

Demetri openly laughs, characteristics easing up and letting go of the worry and posh mask he always had up, making him look so much younger than the thousands of years weighing upon his shoulders and tiptoeing up, you place a small kiss on his cheek.

‘Go, I think I saw Ari in the garden so I’ll join her. Have fun.’ You smile up at him and he returns it after a small kiss on your lips.

‘Do not drink too much.’ he teases.

‘Can’t make any promises, boss.’

Demetri sighs to himself, knowing extremely well that his words went straight to the mental bin inside your mind, before walking off towards Isandro, as Zareb also joins the sitting vampire. As if on cue, a passing servant offers you what appeared to be a pornstar martini, and thanking her, you bring it to your lips, grateful for the sweetness; scanning the gardens over your glass, you spot Eva and Ari sitting in the far back and decide that this is the perfect opportunity to have a talk with them both.

Slipping your shoes off in favor of walking barefoot upon the grass, you make a beeline for the girls. The black dress flows with every move you make and whispers reach your ears as you pass by the rest of the humans; a mortal wearing the Volturi crest was the talk of the place and some either whispered between themselves or greeted you politely. It felt relieving to reach the two girls.

‘Hey _____, come; make yourself comfortable love.’ Ari pats the spot beside her on the plush chaise lounge and you unceremoniously plop yourself down ‘Are you feeling better?’

Nodding, you drink a good mouthful of your drink ‘Yeah, although I think time stopped while I was in there.’

‘How did the meeting go?’ Eva asks with a sly smirk.

‘No one is dead, though I did consider it briefly, not going to lie.’ You admit with a shrug.

‘Uh, old geezers only produce problems. Isandro thinks he’s really funny, but his jokes about the Plague turned kind of tiring after so many years…’ she shrugs and waves at a passing servant to leave his tray filled with food upon the table in front of you three ‘I’m guessing you are hungry.’

‘Your guessing is spot on.’ You reach for a pie-like thingy that seemed to contain rich amounts of cheese.

‘This is called tyropita; it’s a Greek delicacy with traditional Greek feta cheese.’ Ari informs you, laughing a bit as your astounded face when you bite down at it and for a single moment you thought you died and gone to heaven.

‘Don’t let Demetri see me; the freaking Casanova will talk my ears off if this isn’t healthy.’

Eva almost chokes ‘Why on earth does he care? He’s dead, he doesn’t eat these things.’

‘Oh, don’t get me started with them both.’ Ari sighs ‘I don’t know about Demetri, but Zareb almost placed me in a diet consisting only of figs, wheat, milk, and honey. _‘But honey, this is what Osiris ate back in my day!’_. Probably that’s what killed the poor man.’

‘I had to fistfight Demetri for a chocolate.’ You laugh as you pull your legs on the couch, folding them underneath you ‘I told him if I want to, I can cook him to perfection with some marinara sauce and eat him too, so he shouldn’t test me.’

‘_They don’t make music like they used to_. Oh boo hoo! Dude, your idea of music consisted solely of a flute and a lyra tops. Shut your trap, My Chemical Romance rocks.’

‘At least he knows who they are Eva! Demetri only listens to opera and I’m fine with it, but dear lord, not 24/7; it’s like I’m living with Pavarotti.’ You say and they laugh ‘I also have a vampire that hadn’t seen a single movie back in Volterra.’

‘How did that happen? Wasn’t he bored out of his mind?’

‘Before I showed him, I’m guessing Jane’s mood swings and contemplating if death was such a bad choice after all due to them was a distraction enough.’ You nod ‘Poor Alec.’

In the mention of the vampires back in Volterra, your mind strays back to the demands Cleopatra had placed on the table this evening. Without controlling it, your face drops and Ari notices immediately as Eva orders another round of drinks for all of you; Ari reaches out to rest a comforting hand on your leg, her jade-colored eyes filling with worry and compassion. Her hand was warm against your skin and in a strange way, it matched the girl’s warm personality.

‘What’s wrong ______? Something’s bothering you.’ She observes and you play with the edge of your dress for a while, trying to find the correct way to address the issue.

‘During the meeting, Cleopatra came forth with some… interesting requests.’ You say cautiously, looking up from your worried hands as they clench around your second glass of cocktail, and straight towards the two young girls beside you ‘She asked the Volturi if she can turn the both of you into vampires.’

Silence descends like a thick misty veil upon the three of you; Eva and Ari exchange a knowing look but the news doesn’t surprise any of them. Ari fumbles with her plate of food, while Eva looks straight towards you, brown eyes filling with a calm determination that takes you by surprise. She is the first one to break the silence.

‘And you want us to confirm or deny her request?’

Nodding, you swallow hard ‘Yes. I also want you to know exactly what you are signing yourself up for here; once you catch the attention of the Volturi, there is no going back. Especially with the kind of powers the two of you possess.’

‘Well, for starters, it’s true what Cleopatra said ______.’ Ari’s voice is barely audible and her gaze trained at the ground; there is a tone of decisiveness in her voice, but she doesn’t seem to be aware of it ‘We asked her if she could turn us. In return, she said she’ll ask because there are strict rules in place.’

Surprise at Ari actually confirming your suspicions leaves a rather bitter taste on your tongue; in the beginning, you sincerely believed that this idiocy belonged solely to Bella alone but as realization of where you are, surrounded by other mortals that actually wanted to turn immortal, dawned upon you, it is pretty evident that matters are not as black and white as you would have hoped them to be.

Alas, you cannot contain yourself ‘Why? Do you have any idea what this means?’

‘We are both very aware _______.’ Eva interrupts you sharply but there is no malice in her voice or the way a small frown forms upon her face ‘Ari and I knew from the very beginning we started dating Isandro and Zareb that things were going to go that way eventually. Understanding that having vampires in our lives changes what we believed was true up until then and that we’d never go back to what we used to be; this is what brought us together in the first place a couple of years ago and this is what makes you bond with us so quickly. Though, you seem to still keep fighting the inevitable; it’s your choice sure, but you cannot judge us for the choices we freely make.’

Biting down on your lip, you nod ‘I’m not judging you-‘

‘You are.’

‘Let’s not fight girls!’ Ari pleads with you both, but Eva sighs calmly, raising a hand up.

‘We’re not fighting.’ She reassures her and you know her words are true ‘_____ needs to hear the truth.’

Sighing deeply, you try to reason with them ‘If you choose to become immortal, I swear on my life that I’m not going to stop you. But your gifts will make you valuable assets for the Volturi and Aro will definitely want to add you to his collection; he has the means to do it with or without your free will.’

Eva shrugs ‘I’m already working for them ______. Isandro and I are primarily funded by Aro himself; of course, I didn’t know that back in my freshman year when Isandro accepted me as his apprentice. When he and I became involved and he shared with me what he is, he told me all about them. If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t have been funded for my heart surgery research, wouldn’t have joined Doctors of the World and Isandro wouldn’t have made breakthroughs in modern surgery. If you ask me, yes they do some bad, but they do a lot of good as well.’ She says, ‘I’d like to work for them exclusively at some point.’ 

There is conviction in Eva’s words that takes you by surprise; it must have been evident all over your face because her expression softens as her brown eyes fall upon you and she tries to ease you a little bit.

‘It’s understandable that you don’t feel particularly friendly towards them still, but try to see the bigger picture.’

This is quite a lot to think about, you are not going to lie.

‘And you Ari?’ you press, voice soft and unsure, plagued by your tangled thoughts.

Ari shrugs and leans back in her spot on the chaise lounge, looking back at where you know Zareb must be sitting.

‘Zareb, in all his stupid optimism, is quite tired of moving around for all these centuries.’ She admits ‘While I cannot say that I’ve got a rounded opinion upon the matter, I can’t help but want to give him a stable home where he can finally stop running. He believes the Volturi’ll give him that, mostly because Demetri is there and I quite believe the legends saying that Aro and Marcus were patron saints of the Arts. Maybe it’ll be alright to be in their court as a Painter and Art Conservator.’

‘They are people of influence, maybe they’ll give you an art room of your own; two or three helpers. And, you’ll get to sell everything in a ridiculously high price.’ Eva winks ‘I know I got my eye on a hospital in Italy; so many useless know-it-alls to fire.’

Ari chuckles ‘If we’re to join, we’re in for the full luxury ride?’

‘Of course, we are. A deal is a deal.’

Finishing your second cocktail, you hum to yourself as you feel the warmth of the alcohol slowly coursing through your veins, lifting the worry along with the settling of the calm realization that nobody is exploiting the girls.

‘Okay, seems like the Volturi it is. At least I’ll have you to keep me company, as long as this is what you truly want. Both of you.’

‘It is.’ Eva smiles and nods to a passing waiter for more cocktails ‘Us humans must stick together and make the most of it. But for now, don’t you think we must enjoy this amazing party? I mean, have you seen the gardens?’

‘Yeah, but they’re not as good as the cocktails.’

‘Spoken like a true alcoholic.’ Ari rolls her eyes but all you can do is raise your third glass and wish health for all of you.

Eventually, the beauty of the gardens, the aroma, and flavors of the food and alcohol merge together with the laughter and togetherness you feel with the other two human girls to create an atmosphere of warmth and joy. While you didn’t know Ari and Eva for quite that long, their calm and understanding personalities were enough to chase away the loneliness cultivated within you between the cold walls of the Volterra palace; they laughed and joked and drank, and by the time the moon was well above your heads and everything became a blur, you were content and happy and so much _**alive**_. It felt right; it felt like you weren’t an outcast anymore, destined to balance between what was forced upon you and you really were. There were no demands, no masks or lies, no difference between what you were and what you are now; they accepted you just because you were you.

At some point, cold fingers wrap around your form, and you are pulled against a sturdy chest that was oh so comforting; alas, the ancient gods had already granted you release into a deep sleep.

_Three years have passed since the Children of the Night annihilated our village._

_ Andromeda and I have managed to find refuge in a small village somewhere deep inside the Thracian mountains where nobody knows us and as far away from the most populated areas and roads as humanely possible. The villagers were kind enough to welcome us, even if a little bit suspicious, and our knowledge of the herbs and medicines was all we needed to be accumulated faster than expected; there was no doctor anywhere near them and salves and medicine were very hard to find so far into the impenetrable forest. Men and women alike searched for us and in return offered food and goods. Our little house is comfortable, thanks to Andromeda’s earth distortion, and we are mostly left alone by others no matter how strange for women to live alone so far away from the rest of the houses, but we prefer it that way._

_ There are no traces that there are any other Distorters left, but if we are still alive, that means others must be as well. The Children of the Night have remained quiet for a few years, although we caught wind that a new coven, Volturi I think they are called, are moving against them. Good. May mother Demeter cast them all down to the depths of Tartarus for all the blood and calamity they brought upon us._

_ ‘Cassiopeia, can you please bring the rest of the herbs?’ Andromeda’s voice comes from inside the house and sighing, I pick up the small basket I had filled with herbs from our garden and make my way to her._

_ I find her sitting by the blazing hearth of the kitchen, one hand stirring the cauldron filled with the colic medicine we’re preparing and the other safely wrapped around Hermes’s small frame, as he nurses from her breast. The little baby wasn’t more than four months old and he was already so lively and adorable; chubby and as white as snow, he was the spitting image of Andromeda with a small turf of blonde hair barely now growing upon his otherwise bald head._

_ ‘Here you go.’ I say and pass her the basket ‘I’ll be going to the village to deliver the salves this evening, I hope you don’t mind.’_

_ Andromeda nods, her blonde hair shining under the soft glow of the fire ‘No, today’s my turn; the new mothers are waiting for me and afterward, I’ll be meeting with that merchant that brought us the supplies from Constantinople.’_

_ ‘Are you sure you wa-‘_

_‘Yes I am.’ She snaps at me, voice ringing around the house ‘It’s time for another one already and I’m in my waxing moon phase; as good as any.’_

_ Biting my lip hard, I nod ‘But you already had Hermes, can’t you wait until you’re fully healed?’_

_ Andromeda sighs deeply, seizing her movements and closing her eyes for a second, before turning to me and grabbing my hand comfortingly; her touch is cold against my blazing hot skin, evidence of the blazing fire burning within me. The hearth jolts up a bit as if responding to my restless emotions, but Andromeda doesn’t seem to notice._

_ ‘How about you worry more about us saving our kind hm?’ she offers a small smile ‘You’re not young anymore Cassiopeia and you’ve been leading that poor shepherd boy long enough. It is time to sleep with him, okay? We’ll be leaving this village come next year.’_

_ ‘I’m scared Andromeda! I don’t know what to do!’_

_‘You’ll know when the time comes.’ she reassures me ‘All you need to worry about is having as many babies as your body can take; we have a duty to continue our bloodline.’_

_ ‘I know.’ I sniffle, trying to keep the tears of fear away ‘Cause **there must always be a Distorter alive**.’_

Jolting upwards on the bed, your mouth is dry and your sheets are drenched in sweat. The sun is barely peeking through the horizon but you are already burning up from the fever and Demetri is already there to offer you a glass of water and medicine.

As you take it willingly, your mind reverberates with only one name.

Cassiopeia.


	47. Chapter 42 Ad Astra

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO MANY THINGS ARE HAPPENING in this chapter all at once, but the plot is thickening XD I also added the song that inspired the scene with Demetri (you will know which one) so I do suggest checking it out ^^ If you want to support me guys, remember that you can do so by buying me a ko-fi ( https://ko-fi.com/vivianrvergiou )and that commissions are still open! I hope you are all safe and healthy! Love ya all <3 
> 
> Nightwish - Shoemaker https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rjp_DfvJimg&ab_channel=Nightwish  
(God this song gives me the chills)

Let’s just agree that today is a challenging day.

Only a few days had passed since the previous council, and here you were yet again to solve all of the vampire world’s problems in one go, while what felt like a litter of prepubescent vampires screamed at each other like a pterodactyl in heat. It surely livened things all at the same time that it quietened down your rascal thoughts of the conversation you had shared with the girls four days ago and the way you had treated Cleopatra as if she were a female Aro; you felt really bad about that one, to be honest.

Demetri was standing right beside you, one hand resting discretely atop your right shoulder, the coldness of his skin against yours a steady ground lifting the strain from your lungs. He was dressed in his usual dark grey Volturi Guard suit that complimented his lean but fairly muscular figure in a way that made your mouth water, while his burgundy eyes stared before him at the ruckus. Hair a perfectly tousled mess, he conversed back and forth with the rest of the vampires, trying his best to keep everything leveled as you served godly punishment to their sorry asses.

Especially when you learned that Unathi and Lanre were at war with each other, so violent and bloodthirsty, that humans not only started to notice but also went missing when the attacks would occur and they’d be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Of course, this was something the Volturi had noticed -as Demetri informed everyone- and it would be wise to solve their problems now before they decided to pay a visit to them. All that had originated from general animosity among them, but also in their plans to overtake Madagascar as their territory. Unathi wanted it for the riches and the new hunting ground that he thought was owed to him since his lands were lesser than Lanre’s. In turn, Lanre wanted the island to make sure it would continue to thrive and bring it to its top glory as he has done to multiple of his territory cities -Seychelles and Mauritius being good examples.

‘As things are right now, I am forced to take drastic measures. We cannot risk exposure and your quarrel doesn’t look anywhere near to a possible conclusion.’ You say seriously, throwing glares that could slice skin at them when Demetri effectively stops the screaming ‘As things are now, Madagascar will be announced an autonomous region under the protection of the Volturi themselves. None of you will have any say in the matter; on the contrary, I will give you two months to sort your differences out in a civilized way, after the pass of which the Volturi will take matters into their own hands. Rest assured gentlemen: I’ll personally make sure as the Head of the Volturi Guard that justice is served to both of you.’

Even if they didn’t like your solution, none of them dares to voice their opinion against it. With that happy note, you assume the meeting is concluded and begin to wrap things up, while Demetri exchanges a few words with Cleopatra and Marc Antony. Eniola and Unathi are quick to indulge themselves in boisterous conversation and you straighten your [dress](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/fc/5d/92/fc5d92416cf0ebd4ec829b548f8edc12.jpg), thinking that you should probably apologize to Cleopatra for the way you treated her.

As you contemplate how to approach the subject, the heavy doors are thrown open and a man pridefully strolls inside the room, head held high and glare so icy, you think you are in the North Pole for a split second. All heads turn towards him and Demetri’s hand tightens against your skin, the man turning as inanimate as a statue beside you.

The [newcomer ](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/81/41/2d/81412dad322ad553d4a1643ba38b6409.jpg)strolls inside the room with an aura of intense superiority; he knew he was better than everyone surrounding him, a god amidst ordinary creatures. Reminding you of the pride Aro carried in his visage, alas, not even the Volturi King was so full of himself.

He was tall, reaching the height of 5’8’’ and had a slight olive pallor to his pale skin, paired with austere, mistrustful, burgundy-colored eyes. Sporting a sturdy built under the layers of traditional traveler’s clothes, his slightly greying hair was short and neat, surrounding an impassive square face with plump cheeks and a mustache. Immediately, he scanned the room until his glare came to rest somewhere above you on the right and you instinctively knew.

Automatically, your hand shot up to rest against Demetri’s, the need to reassure and calm your mate stronger than anything. Maybe it was the way he spoke about his Creator on the plane here; maybe it was the small voice in the back of your head or the insistent need to touch him in any way you could, a desperate attempt to ground him in the same way he does for you when you need it. Whatever it was, it bubbled through your veins and forced your muscles to react.

‘Finally, you join us Amun; it’s been centuries!’ Lanre welcomes the odd man, who never breaks eye contact with Demetri, yet still inclines his head towards the other African Leader.

‘It surely has been Lanre.’ He says, voice powerful and authoritative even when he didn’t try ‘Alas, family matters kept me away and there was no need for unnecessary interactions.’ he brutally throws at Lanre and your eyebrows skyrocket at the unnecessary bite.

_Bitchy much?_

‘It’s nice to see you again, Demetri. Have the Volturi been treating you well?’

His tone is a combination of hurt and bitterness as he addresses the handsome man, whose hand only tightens against you, and he shifts. For the first time since you knew him, Demetri awkwardly moves his weight from one leg to the other, face an intricate mask of well-trained politeness and formality. Ruby red eyes remain calm, but you know him well enough to catch a small glimpse of darkness swirling behind the luxurious color. Demetri remains with his back straight, his shoulders proudly rolled back, and he nods politely at Amun.

‘Everyday.’ Laconical, straight to the point, icy; it is the voice he uses when in front of mortal enemies. It scared you in the beginning, and it scares you now as well. Gone is the warmth, the feeling of security and love dripping from each word of his; yet again, he wasn’t addressing you now, was he?

Amun smiles, but his smile never reaches to warm his eyes ‘Of course; Aro trains his dogs to be obedient.’

‘Watch your fucking mouth!’

Silence falls like a veil of mist upon every single one of you. Amun, in all his grace and elegance, turns to pierce his gaze against your skin. Raising an intrigued eyebrow at the mere mortal who dared to speak back to him, only to find you staring at him unafraid and disgusted; no one, **no one** was allowed to speak to Demetri like that when you are around. Inaudibly, you feel Demetri exhale and your name rolls off his lips, alas, you’ll be damned if you backed down now.

Amun hums ‘So the rumors are true; you found yourself a mate. A Distorter at that.’

Demetri takes a step towards you, closing up any possible openings to reach you ‘This is _______. Head of the Volturi Guard and Aro’s White Reaper.’ He says ‘She is to be respected and any ill comment against her will have to answer to me.’

There was a threat; well hidden among the silvery, formal words, but there all the same. It makes Amun blink and looks at the Volturi Tracker.

‘I’ve heard of her, yes.’ Amun says dismissively ‘Heard all the tales about her misbehaving. How fitting for you, don’t you think so son?’

‘I am not your son.’ Demetri bites back icily.

Amun flashes a sarcastic smile ‘But you are, whether you like it or not. Where it not for that whore Chelsea, you’d still be by my side. Aro has brainwashed you so well, that you forgot who gave you life in the first place!’

Demetri pushes his chin up arrogantly ‘There is only so much insanity one can have in his life, Amun. Then again, it is just like you to blame others for your failures.’ He says, ‘Luckily for you, your only purpose left in your life is amusing Aro, otherwise I would have been happy to know you stopped polluting this world.’

Amun’s face acquires an expression similar to the one he would sport if someone bitchslapped him across it; eyes almost bulging out of his skull, he is left to watch as Demetri brings the council to an end and dismisses everyone. In an instant, a cold, careful hand wraps around your arm, and you are pulled on your feet; Demetri carefully but urgently leads you out of the room and as far away from Amun as he possibly can. Obediently you follow behind him, without questions, as his feet are quick to put a safe distance. He walks towards the gardens, where you can already hear the party starting to form and laughter reverberates within the empty hallways that seem all too unfriendly and dangerous.

Yet, before he has the chance to cross the threshold to the gardens, you grab his hand in your two own and push the both of you to the side and onto a nearby, deserted corridor for some long-overdue privacy.

‘_____ what are yo-‘

Demetri doesn’t have the chance to finish that sentence; you don’t give him any time to process what is happening as you throw your hands around his neck and hug the handsome man with all your might, throwing your warm body against his perfect, cold one. He cannot realize it, not with being a vampire and all, but you hug the man with everything your little body can provide you with, effectively gluing your petite body against his own with a necessity, not even the gods could go up against. Heart overflowing with the need to protect him, with so much love that it drowns you, making your heartbeat pick up and you know his vampiric powers alert him about it. You know it, by the way, his surprise is gone in a split second and his hands slither around your waist to hold you against him so carefully as if he were afraid you would disappear if the dared to loosen it.

‘I don’t know what happened between you and Amun, Demetri, but I want you to know I’m here for you.’ You choke out sincerely ‘I’m here and I love you more than life itself. If I’m jumping to conclusions, I’m sorry, but you looked like you could use a hug.’

He stills for a single moment; his sturdy chest catches and for a moment he’s not breathing -not that he needed to in the first place- and all you can feel is him burying his handsome face in your shoulder and against your neck. Grip tightening around you, momentarily forgetting you are human and pushing you against him a little bit more than what was comfortable. You don’t care; closing your (e/c) orbs you endure the squeeze for the sake of the man you love, hand coming to tangle at his frosty brown hair, gingerly massaging his scalp, and cooing calm words of reassurance in his ear.

Rare the moment as it was, the mask Demetri wore completely torn away from his face in front of a vulnerable moment, you allowed him to extract comfort off of you just like he has done for you in the past.

‘Do not go near him.’ He murmurs, voice low and smoky, laced with worry and anger ‘I do not want him breathing the same air as you.’

Nodding, you place a tender kiss upon his hair ‘Okay. That’s easy. Whatever makes you comfortable.’

He withdraws from your embrace, grip loosening enough to allow you to breathe easily, leaning back to gaze upon your (e/c) orbs with his liquid ruby ones. Understandably, he looks thrown off; his hair is a mess from your fingers and shadows dance wildly among the redness, and you want to kill whatever it is that makes him feel like that. Instead, he sighs heavily and you are blinded by the sweet aroma of lilac and honey hanging from it, as Demetri brings a tender hand to rest upon your cheek.

Your eyes flicker and close in content as you can’t help but nuzzle him, peace and tranquillity infiltrating the obvious worry.

‘I understand that you might be confused by my actions’ he says carefully, measuring and weighting every single syllable ‘But I want you to trust me. Eventually, I will tell you all about him. I promise. But for now, please do as I say.’

No matter the curiosity bubbling wildly inside your chest, you nod ‘Okay. As long as you are alright.’ You say ‘And you don’t mind too much if I beat him into a pulp.’

Demetri laughs: he laughs and the sombreness lifts from his divine features, making him look younger. Leaning in, he places a chaste kiss upon your brow ‘What would I ever do without you?’

Humming, you respond ‘Probably live a comfortable life.’

‘How dull.’ He muses and his lips find yours in a kiss filled with reassurance.

You are there; you are together. It is all that matters. That and the way Demetri licks your bottom lip, asking chivalrously to be granted permission, but just as you give it to him, he falters; an annoyed growl echoes through his chest as he pulls back and you are confused.

Following his gaze that is cast aside, you find Isandro looking at you from the corner of the corridor. He stands there for god knows how long, his tall and lean figure clad in full black clothes contrasting with the white of the palace; his short black hair is brushed to the side and his bushy eyebrows almost meet above his red eyes. Lips pulled into a thin line, his posture is as dangerous as an arrow; he is not amused and you know the vampire doctor enough by now to know he was as jolly as Emmett, if not more. If something’s bothering him, it’s serious.

‘Always horrible timing, Isandro.’ Demetri says politely, but you can feel the annoyance in the possessive way he holds you.

[Isandro ](https://static.billboard.com/files/media/enrique-iglesias-chapman-baehler-umg-billboard-650-compressed.jpg)(_a/n: sorry, I had to, he's my friend's favourite XD_) offers a careful, trained smile. Against his usually kind face, it feels foreign ‘Sorry for the interruption old friend, _______’ he inclines his head towards the surprised you and for a moment, his eyes are kind again ‘But may I speak with you for a moment Demetri? I have a few questions and Cleopatra is looking for you ______.’

Demetri arcs an eyebrow, but you are suddenly reminded you owe the Queen a long-overdue apology. Breaking apart from Demetri, you gather your nerves and your brains.

‘Okay, I’ll go see her. Demetri, I’ll be back in a few. Have fun with Isandro while I’m gone and I’ll make it up to you for the interruption later.’

That last part, you lean to whisper in his ear, lowly enough for only him to hear before turning on your heel and leaving them both behind.

Making your way through the enormous palace seems like second nature by now, so you allow your muscles to relax and your thoughts to wander back to Demetri, feeling your stomach fall within you in worry. Amun seemed able to get under the gorgeous Casanova’s skin by merely being in the same room as him, which says something for the things that have probably happened between them; no one was able to shake Demetri, with the sole exception being yourself. There was sheer desperation with which he clung to your embrace; as if scared you were going to disappear and it created an unsettling feeling within your very soul. You had noticed before how he always stayed by your side, very scarcely straying from beside you. It was a feeling you never wanted to see upon him again, alas, realization dawned to you that things would probably go down even worse than that when you’d finally die.

Suddenly, it hit you.

How on earth are you willingly leaving him alone?

Are you prepared to go on without him?

‘Oh ______, there you are!’

At the sound of the sudden voice, you jump out of your skin, shrieking bloody murder in the corridors. Throwing a hand over your chest, you see Cleopatra standing at her door looking at you completely perplexed by your reaction. In turn, you had no fucking clue how you made it to her chambers and knocked on the door without noticing at all.

‘S-sorry Cleopatra, I was out of it.’ You breathe out, as the gorgeous woman chuckles and lets you inside her rooms.

‘I can see that my beloved friend. Is everything alright? I hope you are not shaken by the earlier encounter with Amun?’

Cleopatra’s [quarters ](https://athomeinhollywood.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Arabian-nights-living-room.jpg)were -like the Queen herself- quite majestic. Walking inside, you allow the eternal Queen to usher you to the plush sofas -with the same buzz as a mother hen-, where you make yourself comfortable with a content sigh as your limbs go slack against the expensive fabrics. Cleopatra takes the seat across from you and delicately picks up the steaming china pot of tea, pouring the golden liquid into your cup, humming to herself. There is a huge tray with various delicacies you had never seen before and your stomach growls loudly at the mouth-watering view; judging by the position of the sun in the skies beyond the grand balconies, it must be well after four o’clock in the afternoon.

‘I am sure you are starving my dear. Here, try some of the baklava or if you want, the [halva farsalon](https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/b/halva-farsalon-tasty-dessert-greek-recipe-43683372.jpg).’ She points merrily at huge brown pieces that looked like a daydream if somebody asked you, paired with burnt caramel on top and whole roasted almonds inside. You hadn’t seen anything like that ever in your life.

‘Also have some of the tea; it is Darjeeling.’

Alright, surrounded as you are with all those delicious things, you’d be a fool not to try anything, despite your anxiety turning your stomach to knots. Maybe some sugar would give you the necessary energy to apologize to Cleopatra, and so, you serve yourself a piece of halva farsalon. The moment you bite down to it, your senses are assaulted by the rich taste of mocha and caramel; buttery, warm, and dissolving in the mouth, it reminds you of butter caramels but in jelly.

‘Holy damn.’ You choke out and Cleopatra grins.

‘Feeling better?’

You nod ‘Yeah. Lots, thank you.’ You breathe, swallowing, deciding that it’s better to wing it with the apology before the halva comes back up ‘Cleopatra, I wanted to apologize for how I treated you in the previous Council; it was out of line and I regret it e-‘

The Queen raises a hand, her bracelets shining in the sunlight ‘Speak nothing about it ______. How were you supposed to know I’m not doing it for my selfish purposes? When at the same time, it has been done to you.’

Well, that was one way to render you speechless. Your mouth is open.

Cleopatra sighs sadly as she regards you, warmth and something else you can’t quite catch swirling around in the redness of her eyes ‘If I could ______, if it were up to me, you would be free. I would free you instantly. Unfortunately, Aro is the one making the decisions for all of us.’ She sighs ‘Birds like you are not meant to be caged. Living things are not meant to be caged or hidden.’

‘It’s what it is though.’ You shrug nonchalantly ‘As long as I have Demetri beside me, I’m content.’

Cleopatra tilts her head to the side gracefully ‘How is he? It is always intense when he and Amun meet, and in the centuries following Demetri siding with the Volturi, it is the second time it happens.’

Biting down on your lower lip, you busy it in thought ‘He’s thrown off quite a bit, I’m not going to lie. For him to react like that; I’ve only seen him do that once.’ And it was the night Luce had attacked you.

Involuntarily, you shiver in your spot and rush to drink some of the tea to mask it. If Cleopatra notices, she doesn’t comment, only turns her head to look out of the window, her curvy figure gorgeous surrounded by all the contrasting colors. Drawn into thought, she allows the conversation to die down for a few heartbeats more, before she addresses you yet again, tone saddened by haunting memories.

‘While this is not my story to tell, I can assure you it was worse than you think. Demetri did not go with the Volturi at the beginning; when they asked him to join them, he needed time, as all things do. For a decade or two, he called these walls his home -much to Amun’s annoyance and Aro’s insistence. Alas, he was under my protection and I protect those who rely on me with everything I have.’ She breaks her seriousness with a mischievous smile ‘Much like you do.’

Returning her smile, you are intrigued to learn even this small fraction of information ‘What happened then?’

‘Demetri saw a good opportunity to be as far away from Amun, as well as, have a sense of purpose. A soldier will never relax, not even in times of peace.’ She says ‘So the Volturi were happy to have him. Yet I still offer my palace to be his home at any given time he wants; he is a man of good character, despite his Casanova tendencies and I much enjoy his company, as I do yours ______. I only want him to be happy.’

There is double meaning and purpose in her burgundy eyes as she regards you, making you shift in your seat uncomfortably for a moment; it is right then that you remember Isandro’s words that she wanted to talk to you in the first place.

Gathering your courage, you gaze at her unafraid ‘Say what you have to say clearly, Cleopatra. I appreciate honesty.’

She hums in amusement ‘And it is exactly that honesty that I admire to you.’ She says ‘I hear that your healing sessions are going better.’

Nodding, you say ‘Yes, Marc Antony thinks we’ve come a long way. Eva sees my internal organs doing better.’

Cleopatra nods ‘Does that mean you reconsidered the death sentence you gave yourself?’

Carefully you choose your next words, gaze averted to the cup of tea securely locked within your palms, the dish with food forgotten to the side ‘Why is that of importance?’

‘Because I do not think you truly realize how your death is going to affect others around you. Notably, Demetri and the Distorter Clan.’ She shrugs ‘Marc Antony and the rest want to leave everything up to you without saying anything, but I believe, you must make an educated decision after you viewed everything on the table.’

‘I-I think this is-‘

‘Your decision? Ultimately yes, but you have to know the consequences; either if you choose immortality or not.’ She nods thoughtfully ‘I am sure you have heard all the advantages of death, but have you considered the advantages of immortality? And I implore you, do not think of me a fool and tell me you do not believe us, vampires, to have a soul. Because I would argue many living and breathing humans do not.’

Shrugging, you look at her seriously ‘It’s not about that Cleopatra. It’s about my family and seeing them again.’

She looks at you in contemplation ‘How about your living family? Demetri, Felix and Alec and most recently, all of us that you met here.’ She says warmly and there is a painful pang in your heart ‘I know Ari and Eva will not take the news of your death very lightly and you know them for barely a couple of weeks; yet there are bonds of friendship forming there, growing stronger the more time passes.’

Swallowing hard, you try to keep your voice even, images of the girls and everyone you came to know here flashing before your eyes but most of all, images of Demetri smiling and kissing you ‘To be completely honest with you my Queen…. I’m not very sure. I don’t know-.‘ it’s becoming increasingly harder to breathe ‘I love Demetri so, so much, I would die for him-’

‘Ah, but the question is, will you live for him?’ she raises an eyebrow ‘Death is so very easy; the only God that comes when you call. The hardest thing one can do is live for the other.’

Cleopatra sits up straighter on her couch, body leaning towards you slightly as her red eyes come alive with an emotion you very rarely see in the Immortal Queen. She is not pushing you; she is merely presenting you with the other side of the coin, one which you sincerely didn’t know existed. Because in death you believe you’ll find release from the torture of your life, an escape from a never-ending nightmare of servitude under immortal masters who will hesitate at nothing to end you and everyone you ever loved if they deem it fit. Then you have Demetri, your divine Greek god that loves you with love only great poets have barely described and the idea of him losing himself is oh, so scary. After the torture of the healing process, the nightmares, and the sheer calm you find in your love for Demetri, you are beginning to lose your footing in your convictions.

‘As legends say _______, I once almost lost Marc Antony; a proud man who could not take defeat as an option opted to end things himself rather than fall in the hands of his enemies.’ Cleopatra says solemnly, her face falling in an uncharacteristic frown that still fails to take from her beauty.

‘He attempted suicide and almost succeeded, had I not intervened in time. Yet there were these…few moments… barely a few seconds of eternity that I genuinely believed I had lost the only thing that painted my immortal life with color. He was the spring amidst my eternal winter and when I thought I lost him, everything good and bright about the world and life itself, died with him. Heart-wrenching. I thought I was dying over and over again, wished for Anubis to take me and throw me inside Apep to destroy me forever. Yet I reached him on time; saved him. This is the only thing I will bring along with me before the Gods of the Underworld when my soul’s turn to be judged will come. I am sure, it will be of equal weight with the Feather of Maat.’

There is heaviness hanging over your heads in the severity of Cleopatra’s words and it takes you a few seconds more to realize, you are not breathing. Bringing the cup of tea to your lips, in a desperate attempt to calm yourself since all color has left you, you find it tastes bitter and watery against your unshed tears.

‘This is exactly the fate I want Demetri to avoid.’ She says seriously at you ‘I want you both to avoid that. There is still light within you; it would break me to see it gone.’

Your hands are shaking lightly; it is a struggle to keep the sob bubbling in your chest at bay as you cough it down ‘I-um…. I’ll think about it, my Queen. A lot of things have changed for me in the period of half a year, you know. I always thought I’d go to college and then raise a family of my own. Unfortunately now, all these things seem like a joke in front of everything that has happened.’

Cleopatra smiles languidly at you, bringing a golden cup to her lips which you very much doubted it contained tea ‘What makes you think you cannot have all that now?’

Raising an eyebrow, your lips fall to a frown ‘I’m the Head of the Volturi Guard, in love with a vampire. Unless there is something you’re keeping from me, I don’t think they can procreate no matter how much they like to try.’

For a strange reason, you are reminded of Felix’s words when you last spoken on the phone and you told him about your decision to die. Something living of yours…

Instead of answering you straight away, Cleopatra simply remains to stare at you for a moment longer. Her red eyes trace every single inch of your skin, the mechanisms of her mind twisting and turning until something unknown flashes over her beautiful face ‘No matter what you choose _______, it would be wise decision to leave a descendant behind. _**There must always be a Distorter alive**_.’

Out of all the things you expected her to utter, this last sentence was surely not one of them. Suddenly, your whole body shivers as wild goosebumps travel down your spine like electricity; limbs seizing where they stood, heart dropping inside your chest, eyes widening. Leaving you to stare at the Queen with a sense of dread and fear nestling in your mind, along with confusion and anger. How the hell did she know that? What is going on here?

Powerfully, the moment of surprise passes and anger makes your jaw tighten as you whisper through your clenched teeth ‘Excuse me? How the hell do you know that?!’

‘Do not look so surprised, little _____.’ Cleopatra says, unaffected by the hostile tint in your voice ‘I have met plenty of Distorters in my time and this was their only unbreakable rule.’

‘Then would you care to explain to me? Because it’s not like there are books about my people and those who have met them, refuse to talk about them.’ You say, ‘Much less how their rules dictated them to have kids I’m guessing?’

For a moment, Cleopatra becomes distant; gazing at your face, she seems to be deeply in thought, measuring every syllable she was going to disclose to you. Seconds turned into minutes and the moment you decided she wasn’t going to tell you anything, the vampire sighs deeply.

‘Vampires, Distorters, and Humans all coexisted from the very beginning of time itself. While Vampires and Humans are on opposite sides of the spectrum, Distorters are the ones that keep a healthy balance in the middle.’ She says slowly, voice even and betraying no emotion ‘Legend says, vampires were born by Persephone herself; after she lied with her husband Pluto, she gave birth to a baby boy who was destined to surpass his father in power. Hera, when she saw the boy, was certain that he was her husband’s child. In a blind rage led the small child into the pit where the Titans were imprisoned. When Persephone found what remained of the child, she cursed the heavens and the earth; gathering every single piece she could find, she nursed the child in her cold bosom until it was reborn.’

‘As a vampire?’ you say, voice so low, it is barely audible.

The vampire catches it nonetheless ‘Yes. And she unleashed it upon the gods' favorite playthings: humans. There was darkness, carnage, blood and if Demeter had not intervened, it would be the end of human civilization in the hands of the First and the rest of his creations. Instead, Demeter lied on a field under the sun and allowed his rays to impregnate her. The first Distorter -her child-, put a stop to the bloodshed and from that point onwards, peace was kept in the balance among the three species.’

Sighing, you nod ‘And the children?’

‘Well, Distorters always believed their kind must continue no matter what, or else the calamity would return to the world. If you ask me, it was probably because the nature of a Distorter’s life eats away at the lifespan quicker than that of a human; one wants to always be among his kind and if he was to leave this world early, he will at least want their bloodline to continue. That is why they did not lay with vampires because there was no chance of an offspring.’ She shrugs her delicate shoulders ‘And after what the Romanians did, who was to blame them?’

‘But these are all fables; tales someone told to their kids to scare them into behaving.’ You scoff ‘Hardly a good reason to have kids.’

‘______, I agree with you wholeheartedly. Yet I cannot turn a blind eye to the small sliver of truth the legends have inside.’ She muses.

‘Yes, but I still can’t have kids with Demetri. And I’d rather face the entirety of the gods alone than cheat on him. Sure, I wanted a normal family once and it’d be great if I could have one with Demetri but let’s be realistic here.’ You insist ‘Having kids, Distorter kids, under the Volturi power would be an immediate sentence to a life of servitude and constant horrors. I refuse to give Aro another weapon to hang above my head and Demetri’s or leave their lives to his whims.’

‘Power shifts, day in and day out. Things are as ever-changing as life itself.’ Cleopatra says cryptically, but before you have the chance to ask her more about it, she continues ‘If you want children, Eva will be able to help you. Other ways can do the trick nowadays without infidelity. And I give you my word that I will protect you and your loved ones from whoever wishes you harm. I swear it upon Ra’s name and my soul. ’

**~ * ~**

When you eventually left Cleopatra’s room, stopping by your room briefly to prepare before joining today’s party, you felt your brain pound against its tight confines of your skull. While the apology had gone better than expected, she had properly bombarded you with information enough to throw you off balance. From one point, you realized silently to yourself that you needed to think about dying and how it’s going to affect Demetri in a more… clear and objective way than what you had in mind up until now. Of course, you were not idiotic enough to know he wouldn’t be affected -the man was more emotional than what he let others believe- and it all was boiling down to two questions: how prepared you were to die and also, would you possibly be able to live for him? Cleopatra appeared to value that as the only proof of love for another but living would subject you to the Volturi law and whims forever. Dying would in turn destroy Demetri. Were you being selfish? Were you choosing wrong? Cleopatra seemed to think so.

On the other hand, you had the whole issue of having descendants. Well, kids, because the word descendants left a weird taste in your mouth. Honest to the gods, having a family was always one of the goals for later in your life, maybe having one or two as you had confessed to Demetri in the past, but now that your future was turning out to be more obscure and uncertain than not, things like that seemed like luxuries and just that…. dreams. Yet all of your sleeping dreams as of late seemed to be revolving around that issue. This is why it strikes you as bizarre for Cleopatra to breach the subject and something in the back of your mind, a force you hadn’t realized was resting within the darkness of the edges of your consciousness, urged you silently towards that direction. It wasn’t an insane idea, but it’s not like Demetri can give you one; although the image of him fussing over a five-year-old daughter was singlehandedly able to give you a heart attack. Do you even want to have kids now? With Aro and all? Cleopatra did give you her word, but… what did you want?

Shaking your head, you decided to leave all these thoughts for another moment.

Making your way to the gardens, you find them once again brimming with life. Your [white lace kimono](https://img.ltwebstatic.com/images3_pi/2020/05/15/158953690520aa13b10a1933fe76e82ffcfa226777.jpg) danced around your ankles and barefoot you walked out into the marble patio, heart and thoughts quieting down as the warm breeze of the desert kissed your (s/c) skin, exposed as it was by the [bathing suit](https://i.pinimg.com/736x/dd/fb/71/ddfb7117a75eac138481a52c4249ac57.jpg). The sun had begun to dip in the horizon, painting everything in brilliant shades of red, orange, and gold, but still, the vampires lingered in the shadows, while the humans preferred to laze around in the grass and the huge pool gracing the middle of the gardens. As you walk out, a few humans and vampires wave or greet you cordially, while a passing servant offers you a cocktail.

Scanning the place, your lips drop to a scowl when you fail to find the familiar frosty, sand brown hair or the jolly voice of Isandro; instead, you locate [Ari](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/67/01/b9/6701b9b87ac565ffd8a552d59b317dd8.jpg) and [Eva](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0221/7603/8976/products/1_fe2c61fa-467b-4fdb-8d47-b56982191e04_800x.jpg?v=1608880190) lazing around in the pool, seated into a floating flamingo and donat.

You were about to join them when a dark shadow looms over you.

‘Joining the mortal servants? Not very fitting for the Head of the Volturi Guard.’ A bitter voice says and lo and behold, an abusive ex-father has joined the chat.

Unimpressed, you raise an eyebrow towards Amun, never failing to catch the hostile glow in his eyes ‘All my fucks have flown away Amun, so there is none left for your opinion.’

His lip twitches and he tilts his head to the side scrutinizing you ‘Such language. Aro must have truly lost his mind after so long.’

Shrugging, you notice Ari looking at the altercation and you wink at her to reassure her that everything’s fine; the girl relaxes back in her donut, but both she and Eva never lose you from their sights.

‘Well, when you rule over the world of the Undead, you kinda don’t care for that stuff you know?’ you shrug nonchalantly ‘But then again, it’s normal to assume when you haven’t ruled at all.’

At your jibe, he growls, a low, threatening sound coming from the depths of his stomach resembling a lion’s roar ‘Watch your mouth little human; Demetri is not here to protect you.’ He threatens you ‘I will have you know I was a god for eons before you were even an idea in your father's loins.’

Okay, cringey as **fuck**.

‘How did that go for you?’ you roll your eyes, tone dripping with irony and challenge and Amun is stunned for a single moment, enough for you to slip away from the motherfucker before things would go south.

Grabbing a passing unicorn, you slip off your kimono before sitting down and pushing yourself across the water and next to the girls, taking a generous sip of your drink and cooling your feet in the refreshing water underneath you.

‘So, where are our boys, girls?’ you lean back and bask in the glow of the sunset.

‘Probably lurking around; Zareb wanted to check out the library for something and I think I saw Demetri and Isandro talking somewhere.’ Ari waves her hand nonchalantly.

‘You joined us a bit late _______. Is everything alright?’ Eva says, lowering her face to gaze at you above her sunglasses. Her black hair was cascading her slim shoulders, clinging to her skin and dripping with water; she looked so young at that moment, nothing but a university student.

‘Cleopatra wanted to speak to me. A rather strange conversation if you ask me.’

Ari hums thoughtfully ‘Cleopatra always had a strange way of thinking about things. What did she say?’

‘She told me to have kids.’

Ari seems taken aback ‘What? So early?’

‘Well’ you shrug ‘With my medical condition-‘

‘And the fact you are practically the last Distorter unicorn.’ Eva scoffs ‘But I know a few doctors that can help you if you decide to do it.’

Drinking a bit, you sigh back into your unicorn ‘She said that as well. Imagine telling Demetri ‘_Love, we’ve only been together like, for barely two months. Want to have kids?_’.’

‘Weirder questions have been asked.’ Eva says ‘It’s not like he’s been waiting for you for one thousand years and if you choose to stay with him, will stay for twice as much. Who cares if it’s fast?’

Ari seems to think about it for a bit, looking up towards the sky ‘Zareb once asked me why he felt so strange dancing at human parties, while he was doing the cha-cha in the middle of a club while Nicki Minaj sang ‘My Anaconda’. People stared.’

‘Isandro screeched when I unleashed a Roomba in the house one night; I spend the rest of it trying to clean up the mess since -of course-, he ejected back and broke the freaking bookcase!’ Eva shakes her head condescendingly ‘He knew what it was, but never seen one from up close. _Why is it following meeeeee??!_’

‘So, the big bad vampires are huge dorks, aren’t they?’ You comment ‘At one point, I had Alec introduced to memes, so we spend three whole days speaking exclusively in meme language. I think I saw something die within Demetri after day two of not making heads or tails of what we were saying.’

‘Say bye-bye to anything you knew about vampires cause in reality they are just supernatural boomer-babies.’ Eva raises her glass and both you and Ari mimic her before downing your drinks in one go.

Having the girls around you seemed to soothe away your rascal thoughts, enough to forget pretty much everything that had gone down and enjoy the time spend together. Dipping inside the warm waters of the pool, feeling the water wash away all worries, tiredness, and dark thoughts from the tough day you had. After a while, you were content with sitting on your floaties and just enjoy some good food and drinks. Pinpointing a few servants that went around with pieces of halva farsalon and after the third piece, your stomach was contently full, and you were leaning back on the floatie, trying your best not to doze off as the music and the chatter from the people relaxed your limbs and turned them into putty; when was the last time you felt that comfortable around people, you didn’t even remember. Vaguely, you felt someone near you by the way the water ripples and Eva’s presence enveloped you along with the fruity aroma of raspberries, lemon, and a hint of gardenia. Sweet and refreshing.

Her delicate hand grasped your own to pull herself closer to you but didn’t let go; the filial touch felt reassuring and steadfast in a strange way, but when she spoke her voice was laced with worry, muddying her English a bit more than normal.

‘______, I just had your MRI scans back this morning.’ She breathes slowly, making sure none but you could hear her.

Opening your eyes, you find her face pulled in careful evenness, although you knew her well by now to notice the way her eyes seemed sad while she kept fleeting her gaze around. Instinctively, your heart dropped along with your stomach, knowing exactly what she was referring to.

‘What is it Eva?’ you urged her for conversation's sake, keeping your tone neutral and even, if only to keep her resolve unchanged.

She shakes her head ‘They were crystal clear, but… I noticed some surgical alterations in what appears to be previously damaged tissue and bone.’ She says seriously ‘Immensely damaged tissue and bone. I don’t even know how you are still able to walk.’

Flashes of memories long forgotten, buried deep and left to rot, flash through your mind and suddenly you are on edge. Eva notices -the girl was too observant for her own good- and her lips frown but you give her no chance to make any assumptions.

‘These were from before I went into the Volturi.’ You say truthfully, albeit carefully ‘I’ve been dealing with particularly nasty vampires all before I joined the Guard.’

Eva’s eyebrows skyrocket, relief tangling with surprise ‘You don’t say. Who was it?’

‘A vampire tracker named James. Carlisle Cullen did my surgeries and that’s how I’m alright now.’

‘Okay…. Okay.’ She nods ‘You’d tell me if the Volturi would do something like that to you though, right?’

There is sincerity and worry dancing inside the tone of her voice and you find yourself unable to lie to her.

‘They have punished me, but nothing that would leave permanent physical marks.’ You say ‘Caius is exceptionally nasty, but Demetri was there to help me.’

Eva doesn’t like that answer at all, but shrugging, you brush it off completely; she was the one that wanted you to be sincere and sincerity is all you gave her. Both of you fall quiet, her contemplating all the information she had just gathered and you trying your best to bury the memories threatening to surface within you. That is when a shadow moves from the corner of your vision and your head snaps towards it, only to see Demetri, in all his handsome glory, standing on the edge of the pool and offering you his trademark smirk. Still, his posture is straight and prideful and to your eyes, a little bit too unyielding and formal. His hair is more disheveled than usual, as if he pushed his hands through them countless times, while the dark circles under his eyes seem to reappear despite his recent meal. Even his ruby eyes seem a bit darker but not onyx colored yet.

Something’s going on.

‘Eva, would you mind it terribly if I stole your friend for the rest of the evening?’ he politely inclines his head towards the black-haired woman, offering a smile.

Eva nods her head ‘Not at all.’

Demetri turns to you ‘I would like to take you out on a field trip, mio amore.’ He says and offers his hand towards you ‘What do you say?’

Without thinking, you offer your hand to him and he easily pulls you out of the pool like you weighted nothing. The moment you are standing on the sturdy ground beside him, he leans down and plants a tender kiss on the top of your head; a small gesture to reassure you that everything is alright.

‘Where to?’ you ask, leaning your free hand to rest on his sturdy chest, looking up at him tenderly and you see some of the seriousness in his eyes dissipated.

‘That would be a secret, but I assure you, you will enjoy it.’ He says cryptically and smirks slyly yet again.

Lacing his cold hand in your cold own, he turns on his heel and leads you through the gardens and into the palace, taking the shortest route towards your chambers. Carefully, you watch him keep the mask of light-heartedness upon his face but his grip of your hand is steady and tight.

‘Is everything alright Demetri?’ you ask worriedly.

‘Nothing to worry about mio amore; it is simply a very heated argument I had with Isandro.’ He admits and sighs deeply, his shoulders relaxing ‘I believe we need a break from the palace, would you not agree?’

Blinking, you nod sheepishly ‘Well, you can say that again.’

‘So, there is nothing for you to worry your little heart about.’ He muses and offers you a genuine smile that lights up his eyes this time ‘Breathe _______, you are going to give yourself a heart attack.’

‘I don’t like seeing you moody and lately, it’s all I see.’

‘Then we are long over-‘

Demetri has no chance to finish that sentence; in the time it takes you to blink, his eyes turn abyssal black and he comes to a hard stop. Peace and tranquillity go down the drain.

One moment you are standing beside him and the next there is an iron vice coiling around your waist and harshly pulling you against a stone back, trapping you there with nowhere else to go. The exclamation of surprise dies swiftly inside your body as your hands raise to rest against the marble back, a desperate attempt to keep some distance and enable you to breathe properly. Only to witness the full extent of the threatening growl brewing inside Demetri’s chest, rumbling through his entire being like a storm. The hairs in the back of your neck stand up and the mark in your left-hand flares with white-hot pain that makes you gasp; eyes frantically falling onto it, you see it glow red against your (s/c) skin and your heart stops inside your ribcage. Leaving you frozen on the spot, brain short-circuiting.

Demetri is effectively trapping you against his body and the wall behind you, his tall figure perfectly eclipsing your own and keeping you away from whatever it was that offended him so much.

‘Stay behind me ______.’ Comes his low voice and you bite down on your lip to smother the cry of protest ‘You are not welcome inside the palaces of Cleopatra. Leave at once.’

His voice is formal, cold, thunderous, and commanding; reverberating against the inimical marble walls like the warning growl of a panther before it strikes. It shakes you to the core and traps you within the tight confines of your mind, unable to move a single muscle, his protective hand and back the only things that keep you grounded. Your mark burns through you like lava, yet your voice is nowhere to mumble in protest. Not when Demetri is on so high alert and certainly not when a fluid, silvery murmur of a strange chuckle rolls off the ground to rise in the air like a cobra and a voice screams deafeningly in the back of your mind. Cold sweat bathes you and you seize to breathe altogether.

‘Good evening to you too, Demetri.’ The voice greets and you have to keep yourself from vomiting as your mind spins ‘We heard you were holding the Council and since we were around, we thought it good to see if some of our wishes could be heard.’

A mocking scoff escapes Demetri, sounding so foreign coming from the usually collected man.

‘It appears the centuries of your pathetic lives still keep intellect away from your persons, Stephan, Vladimir.’ He says ‘Vacate these halls immediately before all three of us do something you will regret.’

‘So hostile Demetri, one would think the Volturi do not favor democracy.’

‘There is no democracy to be spared for those who do not obey the Law. And the **Law **has exiled you to eternal solitude.’

Something strange hangs from the voice; the more you listen to it, the more it gnaws in the back of your mind. It is one single voice, lethargic, silvery, and airy like the whispers of the wind through the mist-clad forest; yet it addresses itself as ‘we’ and Demetri gave it two separate names. Curiously, the questions take over your mind and you attempt to steal a glance at whoever it is Demetri is talking to, peaking around his arm.

To your surprise, two strange men stand before Demetri, keeping a good few meters of distance to foresee any possible attacks. Both of them are relatively short for men, clad in simple black clothes that could be passed both as modern and as eccentrically dated, hinting at older designs one cannot easily find nowadays. Obvious by the redness of their eyes and the whiteness of their skin, they are vampires, sporting the same powdery look as the Volturi’s skin, yet lacking the milky film in their deep burgundy eyes.

One of them is pure white in his characteristics, with ashy blond hair and white eyelashes that only serve to sharpen his harsh features and triangular face. The other, though, is the complete opposite, with abyssal black hair that forms low sideburns upon his face and matching bushy eyebrows. The moment you gaze upon them, you have to tighten your teeth harshly to withstand the pain skyrocketing upon your arm.

Unfortunately for you, your movement catches the blond one’s eye, and his face turns to nail upon you and a creepy-ass, horrifying smile spreads over him, too wide for comfort.

‘Ah, so the rumors are true-‘

‘-the last Distorter is protected by the Volturi.’ The black-haired man finishes the sentence and if you weren’t looking at them, you wouldn’t know to hell and back that it was produced by two different mouths.

This time, Demetri’s growl is loud and he shoves you behind him, cutting off any chance for them to see you more than they should.

A light breeze enters the corridor and blinking, you realize you are now surrounded by no less than seven vampires from Cleopatra’s Guard, and among them, the tall and threatening stature of Zareb is standing in the way of Demetri and the strange vampires. Everyone is on edge; weapons are drawn and shine in the soft light, low growls reverberate like the buzz of a swarm of angry hornets but you cannot move to see what is happening. You are trapped to stare at Demetri’s back, wondering what on the absolute green earth would make a full house of vampires stand so much on edge.

Instead, you hear Zareb’s voice make the ground underneath you shake like an earthquake.

‘Romanians, you are forbidden from entering our Queen’s household. Remove yourselves at once! The Distorter and the Volturi Guard are under her Grace’s protection. Leave now or bear the consequences of your actions!’

Romanians.

These two belonged to the Romanian Coven, the one that slaughtered your kind.

Without controlling it, your eyes fall on your burning mark that still glows and a few stray tears cascade your eyes; you didn’t even feel them coming. No wonder Demetri turned so protective.

‘My now, there is no need for such excess-‘

‘-when we will make our exit in a civilized manner.’

‘Wish your Queen-‘

‘-the best from us. Goodbye-‘

‘-little Distorter.’

Horror washes over you at the sound of the farewell. Without controlling it, your hands desperately wrap around Demetri, clinging onto him for dear life. Nothing betrays the Romanian’s departure, but Demetri cups your hands and rubs circles onto the tender skin, a desperate action to ease your impending panic.

Zareb’s voice brings you out of your thoughts ‘Take her away, Demetri. We’ll handle it from here.’

Turning, Demetri swiftly swipes you off your feet and gives you the necessary amount of time to wrap your hands around his neck before he races through the palace with his vampiric speed. Hiding your face against his neck, you hold onto him for dear life even after you have entered the warmth of your bedroom. Trying frantically to ease the violent shaking your heart took. It’s not until Demetri wraps his hands protectively around you, smothering you into a cold embrace filled with the rich aroma of honey, rain, and lilac, that you realize you are shivering wildly. Never would you have thought coming face to face with the Romanians would cause you so much dread and fear instead of anger and the need for revenge, yet here you are now, shivering like a leaf against Demetri.

It takes a good while until you have calmed down your breathing and Demetri was there to guide you with steady breaths and calm whispers of how much he loves you in your ear. So, when you finally manage to get a hold of yourself, you refuse to let today’s happenings ruin your plans with Demetri. With a deep sigh to expel the negativity, you announce you are ready to leave this behind and venture into the bedroom to change off your swimsuit until Demetri prepares to take you wherever the hell he wanted to. The swimsuit was sticking against your skin and making you shiver from the cold, but the moment you slipped on a nice [black, sleeveless short jumpsuit](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/76/9a/40/769a40744bb0b03d4babd4abf523bded.jpg) that feels so heavenly warm against your skin, you felt your heart and nerves ease considerably. Drying your (h/c) and pulling them into a messy bun, you return to the living room, only to find Demetri changed in casual [brown shorts and grey shirt,](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/ea/84/56/ea8456fbca299df1a7be1d392b262b83.jpg) holding a backpack in his right hand and grinning stunningly at you.

Only a bit of vampiric running and you are now standing outside of the palace, with Demetri reaching to open the suspicious backpack, seemingly forgetting about everything, just as much as you did. You were alone, so why not take advantage of it? No one would take that away from you.

‘Where are we going?’ you ask, eyeing the infinite desert curiously when Demetri pulls some odd-looking black ropes out of the backpack.

‘You will need this before we go anywhere.’ He muses cheerfully, making you raise an eyebrow.

‘If you wanted some bondage, you could have asked.’ Your voice is still a bit shaky, you notice, but the warmth is slowly sweeping in again.

‘Do not tempt me like that, mio amore. I am trying to be romantic.’ He chuckles lowly and holds them up better ‘These belts are made specifically for pilots in the army; it is the only thing that can withstand vampire velocity without any damages to the human body.’ He carefully wraps them around you, securing and pulling at them to make sure they were alright ‘We have a long way ahead of us, so you should enjoy our trip just as much.’

Checking yourself out, you sure do look like you are about to go skydiving, especially when Demetri offers you clear goggles which you pull over your eyes. Your curiosity is skyrocketing but it feels wrong to question him when he is so absorbed in his tasks and seemingly placing the god-awful meetings behind him. When he passes the backpack to your back and secures it as well, he lets you hop on his back, pulling the ropes around himself and clipping them closed. The sturdy muscles shift deliciously and wrapping your hand around his chest, you subtly squeeze yourself against him, reveling at the comforting sensation is his cold body against yours. Blinded by the sweet aroma of his skin, you inhale deeply, closing your eyes and savoring the moment. If he notices -which he probably does by the way your heart beats hard against your chest-, he chooses to hum to himself rather than comment, a low buzz that echoes through his chest in a strangely comforting way. Well, you could stay here for the rest of eternity and not complain at all.

‘Alright, what is happening? Are we going skydiving or something?’ you murmur lazily, your curiosity getting the better of you.

He chuckles and the sound is light and airy, making his chest rumble with mirth ‘We are going surfing.’

Ummm… yeah, you look to your left: endless red desert. You look to your right: desert. Right ahead of you: yeap, just as you thought, more desert. The lapis lazuli sky is adorned with thousands upon thousands of stars with no sight of light anywhere other than the palace and the possibility you can find water is…. minimal at best?

‘Demetri, my moon and stars, there’s no water for miles upon miles-‘

‘Always the tone of doubt.’ he teases you lightly, tilting his head to the side to get a glimpse of you, red eyes twinkling mischievously under the starlight ‘I thought you loved to surf; let me show you how we do it around here. I know these lands like the back of my hand.’

This is his only warning before his hands wrap around your legs securely and the next thing you know, you are running through the desert.

For a moment you expect the world to turn blurry; like so many times before when you ran with him, you had to hide in his neck to keep yourself from getting motion-sickness, but to your utter surprise, there is no need for that this time. A blessing of the desert, it had nothing upon it other than sandhills until the eye could see, so despite the wind whipping your (h/l) (h/c) locks behind and pushing the goggles against your skin, you find it easy to focus truly on what is happening around you.

It is right then when you notice Demetri is laughing; a loud, deep sound that paints the scorched wind with happiness, taking you by surprise and making the man all the more endearing. It was moments like these, rare and far in between that you were reminded that Demetri wasn’t really all that old. Only 26 years old. Yes, that was one thousand years ago, but age sometimes is a tricky thing. Racing towards mountainous sandhills in the distance, the palace left long behind you, wind howling in your ears and Demetri’s laugh tangling all together to set your soul alight. He flies over the sand, feet barely touching the floor, climbing the hill with exceptional ease.

‘Do not close your eyes.’ he warns you and ejects himself off the top of the hill.

Everything comes to a sudden stop: the sand, the wind, the night, and Demetri. Everything holds still, the universe taking a rare moment to seize its movement, leaving you both suspended upon the air, floating among the bejeweled skies, free and alive with nothing to hold you back. Heart comes to a stop inside of you, breath catches in your lungs as you watch before you the desert expands, grains of sand a million times more than all the galaxies and stars in the entire universe. Warmth emanates from the sand, cold tangles with the wind; your limbs are weightless feathers amidst the endlessness of everything surrounding you and you are acutely aware of the wonders unfolding right before your (e/c) orbs. Both of you are together at that moment, suspended in time, stolen time, together, happy and so much in love. It fills your mind to the brim, overflowing to bring blooming tears at the magnitude of happiness exploding through you.

You barely notice yourself screaming wildly into the night’s air.

Then the moment passes and Demetri expertly lands on the sand.

Gracefully, he places his feet in such a way that he glides the sandy slope as if he were on a surfing board. Making zigzags as he descends, he leans and touches the warm sand with his hand, producing mesmerizing patterns of floating sand quite literally as if it was water. The only difference is that there is no way to dive underneath the hills. As soon as you reach flat ground, he picks up on running again, climbing the next hill and jumping over it, suspending you both once again as he does a backflip and once again goes down the other side surfing.

Elation is all you know. At that moment, you are in love with the night, the desert, the stars, and the man. Nothing matters other than this singular moment, which you wish with everything you have left within you to last forever, to experience the same wonder as if for the first time. Away from duties and shadows marring your lives, just two idiotic, reckless, and in love fools.

‘We are not too far away.’ Demetri says at some point, cutting off your elated exclamations to bring your hand to his lips and place a chaste kiss upon it ‘I used to come here often back when I was not in the Volturi guard yet.’

In response, you place a kiss on his neck, nuzzling against him, never missing the fact he shared something from his past just now ‘Is this your mancave Demetri?’

‘Is this what you youngsters call it?’ he throws back, laughing at the groan you let out.

‘God I forget you are ancient.’

‘Yet my good looks are unaltered.’ He muses ‘Now, close your eyes, I have a surprise for you.’

‘Another one?’

‘I do like spoiling you if you have not noticed by now. Which would be understandable since your perceptive abilities are similar to a raging bull’s.’ he teases and you slap him playfully against his chest ‘I do promise it will be worth it.’

‘Alright then.’

Closing your eyes, you hum to yourself as you nuzzle against him. He continues running for a little bit longer, but eventually, he comes to a stop. There is a series of clicks as he unties everything and helps you to your feet, all the while you keep your eyes safely closed; removing the backpack and the goggles, he vanishes for a bit and you hear him fumble around the place. No other sounds exist and you are quite baffled to be honest, especially when his presence returns and he tilts your head upwards.

‘Open them.’

Obeying, your (e/c) orbs flicker and open.

Intricately woven amidst the velvety midnight blue of the skies, is an explosion of [silvery stars and grand constellations](https://images-cdn.9gag.com/photo/aOBbq5D_700b.jpg) more beautiful than anything. Far-away suns and planets, flickering or steady, are now free to shine in all their glory; away from the bothersome lights of society, embraced within the silence of the universe, breath-taking and enchanting. Everything is so crystal clear, that you can easily find all the constellations Demetri has taught you and even watch in wonder as the nebulas of the Milky Way race against the darkness, reminding you how small you are compared to the eternity of space.

Your breath stops within you; your heart pounds and a shiver runs down your spine, as you lower your gaze to find Demetri standing before you, a Greek God of beauty and death against a background of a starry sky. He is smiling, holding your hands tenderly, and looking upon you with so much love, it borderlines to pain.

Pulling you against him, he laces his hands on your waist, resting his forehead against yours ‘This is pretty much how the sky will look like when you will be immortal. Only that you will not need to be in the middle of the Sahara to see it.’

‘This is….This is…’ you are at a loss ‘ I love you. Thank you for showing me this. I love you so much, I cannot even begin to explain.’

Demetri smiles brilliantly, his red eyes shining with the dazzling light of the stars ‘______, σ’αγαπώ.’

His last words, although not in your language, are just as clear in meaning as the sky above you. Slowly, tenderly, your lips meet in a kiss filled with love and adoration, it shakes you to the core and ignites your senses, making you tangle your hands within his soft sand brown locks, trying to pull him as close as possible. His tongue tangles with your own and your bodies cup so perfectly, it was bound to be from the way the gods themselves made you. Sensations of lilac, rain, and honey blind you and you cannot get enough.

Alas, you part and you are late to realize you were running out of breath.

Both of you make yourselves comfortable upon the huge blanket Demetri has set upright in the middle of a small, secluded space among the tall sandhills. He brought along some fruits for you to munch on and some nice white wine, but all this is forgotten when you lie down together, lazily watching the skies up above, reveling in the rare instance of being all alone.

‘You seem to be getting along with the rest of the humans.’ Demetri hums as you rest upon his chest, hand rubbing soothing circles upon your shoulder.

‘I like them; they understand and are fun to be around with. Like attracts like, I guess.’ You shrug.

‘Then you will be happy to know that another human is waiting for you back in Volterra.’

Raising your head, you give him a disbelieving look ‘What do you mean?’

In response, Demetri grins ‘Our dear Felix found himself a mate. One hundred percent human; a student from a nearby town.’

Alright, your eyes have effectively transformed into saucepans ‘No _kidding_! Oh boy, he won’t hear the end of it!’ you laugh ‘Jane must be going ballistic.’

‘Felix is not letting her anywhere near the Clock Tower.’ Demetri simply admits ‘Although she knows he is a vampire, there are other details that must be kept secret for now; not only for her protection but to avoid certain… _outcomes_.’

It is the way he says the last word that hits a nerve within you. For a moment, you remain silent; pondering about all the things that went through your head when you learned that this world was plagued by vampires. Honestly, in the beginning, you sincerely thought you were on Candid Camera and had to look at the camera to laugh your ass off to entertain the audience. Edward and Alice were not at all amused though.

‘You know, I had the strangest experience when the Cullens came out of the coffin.’ using your index finger to trace absentminded patterns upon his chest ‘Alice was always giving me weird looks at school, staring not-as-subtly-as-she’d-like-to-think, but it was one day that I was talking with Bella on the school parking lot. I remember it was icy down and we’re speaking, minding our own when this car comes out of nowhere and slides on the ice coming straight towards us. All I remember is Edward stopping the car with one bare hand and Alice ejecting me back before I got smashed; ended up needing some serious stitches and bugging her into telling me how the fuck did she eject me when I’m twice her size.’

‘I can very vividly imagine that.’ Demetri teases you before kissing the top of your head.

‘Honestly, despite my surprise, it was good to know that I wasn’t the only strange one out there. That the legends were real and somehow I was part of them.’ You sigh deeply ‘But of course, this only means the monsters are as well.’

Demetri’s ministrations pause ‘Somehow, I have the feeling it is directly connected to your spine injuries.’ He says, taking you by surprise and making your eyes search for his red own.

‘Did you eavesdrop on my conversation with Eva?’ you accuse him, but it is weak and Demetri doesn’t seem at all bothered by it.

On the contrary, his steady ruby gaze burns your flesh away and you know he will get the answers he needs. Just like he did when you first came into Volterra.

‘Isandro told me before Eva did. He was quite perplexed and… serious about the injuries.’ He says seriously ‘He wanted to know if I inflicted them to you.’

_Wow_.

Just, wow. And there you thought Amun and the Romanians were the only fucked up things about today. Imagine being asked if you abuse your mate straight on.

‘I’m sorry Demetri.’ Honesty and hesitation are painting your voice, but Demetri hushes you with a raised hand.

‘Only promise to tell me who did it. I would like a few words with him.’

‘You can’t since that little blond bitch is dead. Edward made sure of it.’

He hums, raising an eyebrow ‘The Cullens are not the pacifists they so desperately try to be? Although that means I owe Edward my gratitude.’

‘Well, only because he went after Bella. I was just collate-.’

‘You never are collateral.’ He cuts you off immediately and you can’t help but smile warmly up at his serious face, chest bursting with butterflies before his need to defend you at any given point, any moment, any time. Even from your self.

Demetri is what makes your battered and bruised heart come to life. Under his intense gaze, you know there is no escaping him, so you begin to explain to him just what happened between you and James; it was the second time you shared that story, the first one being the wolves in what seemed like eons ago. It was an old, ugly scar you would much rather forget, a nightmare that still lingered in the back of your mind sometimes, hiding in the shadows and haunting you just when you let your guard down. It had become more tolerable in Demetri’s presence -and you might say that you had somewhat forgotten about it- but it still affected the way you viewed vampires. You knew that yourself; it was stalking the edges of every sentence you uttered when you first came into Volterra, only eased by the man’s patient attitude and steady march towards conquering your heart.

So, despite the knot forming deep into your throat at the memories, you tell him everything.

Electricity hung heavily in the air as you joined the Cullens for a nice game of baseball; the storm would be the perfect cover for their superhuman game and it would be the first time you’d demonstrate your powers in front of them in all their glory. There was a certain need to wipe that smug smirk off Emmett’s face and the wild sensation of competitiveness poisoning your heart made Jasper chuckle. He would tease you about it, but secretly he was thankful for your ability to nullify the scent of your blood.

Alas, nothing had proven as easy as you’d like and before you knew it, three red-eyed vampires had joined your little soiree, making Carlisle eager to send both of you and Bella away.

Everything had happened so fast and your fragile nerves kicked in before you could stop them.

James lunged for Bella; Edward shielded her away as Rosalie did the same for you; only for your hand to eject forward and a wall of air catapulted James a safe distance away. How were you to be blamed? Who was to blame you for wanting to keep yourself and your friends safe? Alas, it had the opposite reaction of what anyone expected.

Now, two prizes dawned upon James’s deranged mind: a vampire’s sweetheart and a powered human all in one.

Strangely, your father was all too understanding when you told him you had to leave. Carlisle had one phone call with him and despite his initial protests that you were safer at home -in hindsight, you would have been safer with the wolves around-, in the end allowed you to go with Jasper, Alice, and Bella back to Phoenix where you’d be safe for a while. It felt surreal; to be hunted by a vampire. It felt scary, absolutely lethally scary, enough to keep you up at night, and even if you slept, nightmares of James getting you would plague you. Soon enough, James realized he had been tricked and you were just preparing your bags in the other room when Bella’s phone rang with a call from her house. That’s when you knew Bella was a terrible liar. With your powers, you heard the whole exchange between her and James, and when she managed to slip Jasper and Alice’s attention and take a cab to her ballet studio, you followed.

Bursting through the doors, you found James stepping and breaking Bella’s foot before he turned to you with a deranged smile and lunged.

What you endured that day, what was done to you, and the pain you experienced, was only up to par with the torture Caius put you through. The worst kind of pain you ever survived.

Demetri’s grip around you tightened as you explained. Patiently he listened, pulling you close, never interrupting you. His body turning rigid and unyielding as he listened intently to your whisper of a voice narrating everything.

Narrating your nightmares coming to life. How your powers failed you quicker than expected. How James reached through your forcefield, grabbing you by the neck like a puppet. Raising you off the ground and catapulting you through a wall of mirrors. The rich scent of vanilla permeated the air as you bled on the floor, all before James dragged you through the shards and before Bella’s eyes, proceeded to torture you mercilessly. All you remember before darkness consumed you, was James’s foot coming down to your head.

When you woke up, you found yourself on a medical bed in Seattle, your father and Carlisle patiently waiting by your side. It had been three whole months since the incident with James and even if your body had mostly healed, none of them knew why you didn’t wake up until then.

Emmett had been the one to pull James away from you; under his sinister care, you had suffered a severe concussion, most of the bones in your ribs, hands, and legs broken and your spine ruptured in multiple places; on top of that, you needed four blood transfusions to survive. Carlisle had led the surgeries to save your life himself. If it weren’t for his vampiric abilities, you’d have permanently lost your ability to walk. Thankfully, not only did he manage to save you, but recuperation and walking again were almost a piece of cake. Spending merely another month to properly go back to yourself.

‘Yet I was scared of vampires from that moment onwards.’ You simply shrug ‘All I remember was James growling like a maniac and then even Carlisle’s touch felt threatening and possibly dangerous. When I learned afterward that Jasper had attacked Bella for a simple papercut, I knew all vampires were the same dangerous animals who thought themselves better than anyone. Reckless, animalistic, dangerous. Then Edward left Bella and I hoped we left the nightmare behind…’

‘Nightmares never really leave us though, do they?’ Demetri whispers solemnly.

You nod ‘No, not at all. I mean, you probably saw it with how bitchy I was with you all. But then, turns out Bella was just as selfish and reckless as vampires, and the one best friend I thought I had, left me in the hands of my worst nightmares.’

Demetri sighs ‘I do not hold you accountable for your actions ______. Mio amore, given the circumstances of your arrival to the Tower, I believe you behaved calmly. True, you still were a pain, but who is to blame the sheep for walking straight into a wolf’s lair?’

Looking up at the man, you catch him looking at you with such pure love written all over his face, that under the stars you feel like you are falling in love with him all over again.

‘You covered for me didn’t you?’

‘Of course, I did.’ He says ‘A fragile human could not survive Caius and Aro deems you too precious not to overlook a few things, but his patience knows certain limits. Not that you reached them of course.’

‘Nobody’s a saint.’

‘Exactly. Thus, I knew there were things you were not telling us, but prying would only make you angrier. And I wanted for you to be at ease around me.’

Humming, you plant a small kiss upon his chest ‘Thank you for that.’

He beams ‘I can think of a few ways you can show your gratitude.’ He winks at the bright red blooming over your cheeks, turning you into a lighthouse ‘Although I admit, I had the same fears as you did when I first became a vampire. At least, until Amun explained what was going on.’

Carefully, you lick your lips a bit as you think of how to breach the subject without triggering the beautiful man again.

‘Were you also scared?’ you simply ask, avoiding uttering any names that possibly had ill-intent.

‘In my world, the only supernatural beings were the ones in Greek myths and legends. Medusa, Cronus, lamias, kallikantzaroi, faeries and so many more.’ He admits, ruby gaze turning towards the stars and suddenly, he seems distant ‘Living in a small cottage on the edge of a village near Delphi, I only heard of monsters and demons either by the Church of Constantinople or what little I and my sister had learned from our parents. We were orphans from early on and to make ends meet, I used to find outlaws for the Christians; ironically, I was also a heretic -which at the time was punishable by death or conversion- but they did not need to know that. The whole village was, along with many others in the Pindos mountains, but Byzantines were ruthless in their punishments, killing entire villages for refusing to convert in Christianity, so it was a tightly kept secret.’

‘Making money out of finding outlaws was good at that time -along with keeping the innocent heretics safe. Nobody came close to my small cabin, less they wanted some trouble. When I turned 22, my sister joined me there when her husband died in a shipwreck and along with her brought her 4-year-old son. Times were really tough; we had to pay large amounts of money to the authorities and received little in turn but we made ends meets. It was an honest, simple life, but I thirsted for more.’ He shrugs.

‘As I always do from what you can see.’ He muses ‘My sister was left on her own in the house while I traced criminals and brought back food for our table. Sometimes, I would not go home in weeks. Her little boy, -Achilles was his name- was such a rascal little thing; I taught him the few numbers and letters I knew and he would follow me anywhere around the house, begging me to tell him stories of my adventures out in the world.’ He smiles tenderly at the memory ‘Feisty little fellow, loud and boyish with the whole world waiting for him.’

Humming, you offer him a smile ‘And your sister?’

Demetri actually, actually rolls his eyes ‘Ariadne was a bad headache waiting to happen; she was loud, cocky, clever, and too stubborn for her good. She was only a year younger than me and if you let her, she would probably boss everyone around for eternity; we looked so alike that many used to mistaken us for twins. Alas, for all her obnoxiousness, she would keep my house tidy and her cooking was no joke. When I was gone, she was raising that little boy to become a proper man and despite me not telling her, I loved them both with all my human heart.’

This time, you can’t help the smile that breaks through your face ‘She sounds lovely.’

Demetri shrugs ‘She would probably adore you. Not that I would blame her.’ He turns to you with a grin ‘And just like you, she could not keep a secret to save her life. It was usually written all over her face.’

Okay, this makes your stomach drop anxiously ‘R-really?’

Gingerly pushing you back, Demetri gets on top of you, caging you among his sturdy arms as he stares down at you with a mischievous glint in his eye and a smirk to match.

‘I know you have been hiding something from me since the day we left Forks.’ He admits and there is no hiding the skip your heart does ‘Respecting your decision not to share it with me just yet, I will not pry. I do hope it is not anything serious though; because if it is, I will be deciding for the both of us.’

Sheepishly, you open your mouth to say something, but the vampire man is quicker and effectively silences you with a kiss.

His lips crash against yours and you whimper as he bites down on your lower lip, asking for entrance which you grant him immediately. His tongue invades your mouth, blinding your senses with his sweet taste and you throw your hands around his neck, pulling him against you. Of course, the undead man was unable to feel the pull, but still gets the intention and lowers his body enough to cage you against the blanket and the sand. All the while his tongue tangles with yours, doing despicable things and allowing his cold hands to caress your sides before lowering and cupping your butt fully. Laughing against his lips, you bring your fingers to tangle inside his soft locks and love bubbled unabridged through you for the man before you, who always manages to make you feel so alive. So, loved.

In response, he chuckles and kisses you roughly yet again, biting down on your lower lip. Drawing a few stray drops of blood, you feel his chest rumble with the deep purr escaping him, resonating deep within your core.

The reaction you provide him with is instant; your back arcs off the floor and your legs open, trapping him amidst them as your hands pull at his soft, velvety hair. Demetri breaks the kiss and you whimper softly as he traces the expanses of your neck, licking and kissing, sucking at that special spot that has you gasping against him. Warmth blooms underneath your belly button and your blood turns hot inside your veins.

‘So obedient.’ Demetri muses, lowering his lascivious lips to kiss at your collarbones ‘Would you say you have been good, mio amore?’

Swallowing hard, trying to find your voice, you manage to mumble a strained ‘Y-yes. It’s been a month since the last time and I b-behaved!’

‘You will allow me to disagree.’

You feel him take the zipper of your jumpsuit into his mouth and pull down, exposing your inflamed skin to the chilly night air and his expertly maddening caresses. Being comfortable around him, you chose to go braless tonight, so the moment your chest is exposed to the night air, a goosebump courses raw through you.

‘How naughty, going around like that. I think this kind of behavior must be punished.’

Humming in satisfaction against the base of your neck and slithering around your skin, his hands come to cup at your breasts simultaneously. A moan escapes your lips, slicing through the silence of the night, especially when he pinches them both savagely and you whimper his name to the wind.

By now you can feel the hard bulge prodding at your inner thigh and your hands slide over his loosely fitted shirt and catch at the bottom, pulling it off and exposing the chiseled, perfect body you longed to kiss for eternity. Demetri is cold against your inflamed chest and the difference in temperatures makes you shiver as his lips lick down your chest and envelope one of your nipples; sucking hard, he savors your every moan and sigh. Instead of toying with the other one, his free hand traces down your abdomen, sliding its way inside your panties and to that special bundle of nerves, only to feel you already painfully wet for him.

He hums in satisfaction and his deft fingers toy with your clit, having you scream aloud and pull savagely at his frosted brown locks. Taking the opportunity of your distraction, he lets go of your nipple with a loud pop, only to attack the other, sliding a finger inside your aching core.

‘Ah! Demetri, p-please, ah!’ you writhe underneath him and he lets go of your breast to attack your lips again, swallowing down your cries as his finger explores your warm insides, only to be joined by a second one. Swiftly, he angles them up in a hook and you can see more stars than those in the firmament.

‘What is it ______? Tell me, what do you want?’ he teases against your lips, adding a third finger and feeling your walls clamp down at him as a scandalous moan leaves your mouth. Your insides pull tightly as every single move he makes, building and building the knot until it has turned painful. You want more, so much more. You want something fuller to fill you and you get even wetter by the mere thought of it.

‘F-fuck me, Demetri. Please f-fu-ck me.’

Pleased, he bites down on your lip ‘With pleasure.’

In a split second, the fingers leave you empty and aching. In a split second, you find yourself stripped of the rest of your clothes before the distraught cry leaves you, and Demetri stands before you in all his naked glory. The stars reflect over his toned muscles but you only have eyes for his erection, standing tall and leaking with precum already. There is only a split second before Demetri throws your legs over his shoulders, leaning down to kiss you hard and you feel his dick prodding at your entrance. Wiggling your hips, he chuckles at your impatience as he grabs your wrists and pins them above you, making you moan when you feel him slowly entering you.

From the very beginning, he was a tight, almost painful fit, and this time is no exception. Slowly he slides within you, parting your walls to their fullest, and you could easily cum by penetration alone. Throwing your head back, you allow him to ravage your neck and collarbone and exclaim in lust-filled delight when he bottoms out and you never felt so full in your life. He moans against your ear and waits; giving you a few moments to get accustomed to his size and when he feels your muscles relax around him, pulls out, only to slam back in.

Demetri sets a ruthless, harsh pace. Skin slapping against skin is the only thing you can hear along with your screams and his moans, the lewd comments of how tight you felt against him, how good you were taking him, all at the same time that he was rearranging your insides. Every thrust has him hitting against your cervix; your walls tighten around him every time he pulls back, only to embrace him once he spears inside. You are lost in a haze of delicious moans and building lust, feeling your orgasm build and build within you until there are tears in your eyes and his name is the only word you know.

‘D-Demetri I’m-AH! Close! _OH_!’

Arcing your back off the floor, you brace for the knot to snap and your orgasm to wash over you, but to your utter surprise, Demetri stops dead on his tracks.

A woeful cry escapes you, needy and choking on your tears as you feel the orgasm wane painfully at the lack of movement, your walls fluttering but receiving no stimulation.

Demetri kisses the spot underneath your ear and you whimper ‘Not so fast _______. You will have to beg for it. _Tell me you want it_.’

It is tough to speak through your sobs, but you’ll probably lose it if he doesn’t move soon ‘Demetri I need you, p-please. I want your cock pounding me silly until I cry and beg you to stop. I want you to make me cum again and again until I can’t take any more. Until I’m dripping- I want you so much, I’ll do anything!’

He cocks an eyebrow ‘Anything?’

Nodding, there is no power left within you to utter a word.

Demetri grins, his red eyes sparkling mischievously. With a swift move, he changes your positions, lying flat on the blanket, sitting you on his dick and you cannot contain the wanton moan that leaves your mouth hanging open, as the new position makes him reach even deeper than before.

‘Ride me _____.’

Both of you whined in relief when you made yourself comfortable by sinking even lower, taking him to the very base, welcoming him deeper into the tight, wet confines of your pussy. Still, as you begin to roll your hips shyly, trying to set a pace that would be pleasurable for the both of you, his hands come to rest on your hips and guide you expertly as he thrusts up into you. Moaning, you bounce on top of him with increasing speed, purposely tightening your inner muscles and receiving a violent buck of his hips, his fingers digging into your skin as carefully as he could, while he grunted deliciously underneath you. Working him in and out of your tight pussy, his moans and sighs only drive you wilder by the passing second, making you go faster, harder.

Moaning loudly, throwing your head back as he grabs your ass, forcing you down ruthlessly ‘I could watch you ride me all day long~.’

His lust-filled voice makes you shiver and mindlessly tighten down onto him; your hands fly to claw at his marble chest and your eyes close tightly, as your screams become breathless by the force with which you are riding him. Basking at the praise flowing from his lips, feeling his dick hit your cervix again and again and again until the knot is back and twice as tight, and you know by the way he twitches inside that he won’t last long either.

‘Yes, just like that mio amore. Yes yes yes.’ He muses reaching with one hand to play with your clit and you practically feel your heart explode ‘Cum for me.’

With an expert flick of his fingers against your clit, you feel the knot snap and your orgasm washes over you like a tidal wave. Back arcing like a bow, your eyes roll to the back of your head and your mouth falls open in a silent scream as he continues to thrust with exceptionally harsh thrusts, prolonging your orgasm and finally slamming your hips down and he cums with a groan of utter bliss. All you feel is a cold sensation filling your insides and everything explodes with color and emotion.

The stars, the desert, your joined bodies, and your love.

Leaving you to make a staggering realization, as every single emotion closely hidden within your bosom bubbles up and explodes into a supernova of love that makes tears roll down your face; unstoppable, breath-taking, a combination that bursts through your mind like a wildfire.

Death is the wrong choice.

You are choosing wrong.


End file.
